Staggering Along The Way:Act-II
by Ana89mika
Summary: This piece now can be considered a stand-alone with the main focus on the discovery of what Gail and Holly can become together, with each other, and for each other. It could be slow burn...it will be a sweet, dramatic ride! Give it a read...Thank You. Rating changed to M...for all things sexual and the whole shebang! And now it's finally complete!
1. Chapter 1

**Preface**

For those of you, who are familiar with the previous story, welcome to Act-II. Hopefully you value my thoughts enough that you have read the author's note at the end of my work and agree with it. But I apologize if you do not agree.

Before you proceed I would like to request that kindly begin reading this with an open and an accepting mind. The backdrop is the same as the show; their professions and their characteristics remain but the story is mine. I realize AU is not the exact term for this but still I know people sometimes compare the ongoing show and a story they are reading. So, please do not do that.

I would like to add here that this story is not just about their jobs or the cases. It is about Gail, and Holly, and what they become together. So the involvement of other characters will be quite minimal during the story.

Many readers have expressed interest in including M rated content in this story. I have never written anything M rated and I will be honest here; I am too terrified that if I try to write it, I might not be able to deliver the standard of work you readers have come to expect from me. But, I will surely give it a try and with time, if possible, include it in this story.

Lastly, I would again like to thank each and every one of you for the support and love. I really do hope that my work doesn't disappoint even a single reader but I realize it might be a little far-fetched. But anyway, I will look forward to the support on this story too. Thank you with the bottom of my heart. I can't repeat it enough times and I most certainly can't put it into mere words.

Hopefully you all will enjoy the Act-II as much as the Act-I.

**Staggering Along The Way: Act-II**

**"A Discovery That Is Us"**


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: Hello and welcome to the second installment. **

**Here is the first chapter. **

**I have kept the title because it just suits them too much; in my opinion. **

**I hope you all enjoy. And guys, please review and let me know what you think. **

**It really is too inspiring and works like a charm. **

**Also, I can't promise the frequency of the updates. **

**I need to focus on real life too, you know. **

**Mistakes are mine. Story is mine. Dunno about anything else. **

**Disclaimer: I really don't know what they want me say. They should just tell me. **

**Without further delay, I present to you...**

**Enjoy!**

* * *

**Staggering Along The Way**

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**The Terrifying Inevitability**

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Gail's palms were pressed into the cold surface of those age-old metal lockers; head hanging down in between her upper arms and eyes fixated upon an insignificant patch of irregularity on the floor. Her heart felt as heavy as lead in her chest cavity. She didn't want to feel like that but damn it...it hurt! It hurt to know that people she called her friends; maybe not called, but considered most definitely, believed that there had to be something wrong with the universe if Gail Peck was smiling and happy! As if she had no right to be happy...or even content for that matter; not even for a day?

That Monday morning when she had walked into the lobby of 15th division, she sported a smile. She didn't know she was smiling. She didn't pay any special attention to her facial expressions but definitely people noticed the change. Really, do they have nothing better to do, she had asked herself. Dov was the first to jump in with a flurry of inquiries and jabs. Chris had donated his share by joining in the fun for a few minutes as they all started to partner off and grab a cruiser to begin the day. She was riding with Chloe, who with some stroke of luck wasn't too irritating or bubbly for once.

Maybe getting shot changed people; would she wake up a better person if she was shot almost fatally? Would she become a sensitive and caring soul and all that she wasn't and chose not to be? She pondered as she stood like that for long minutes in the locker room; left alone with her thoughts. The shift had ended almost an hour ago and it was close to seven in the evening. People were so superficial, she wondered. They only saw what Gail wanted them to see and based on that they dared pass judgments on her life? Who gave them the right? Her breaths shortened and her throat closed. She bent forward and rested her forehead over the cold metal wall in front of her. Next her eyelids draped over the stinging sensation and prevented the moisture from multiplying uncontrollably. As soon as that happened, she traded her tired vision for a bright, smiling, and beautiful face. Holly...unintentionally that name fought through the barrier of her narrowing throat and floated languidly into the quiet of that nearly dark room. It was very illogical and very fantasist of her to feel so but that single whisper spread its mighty wings around her and collected her into its loving embrace. For a second she became so weightless that her knees wobbled and threatened to collapse her body on the ground. She breathed in the comfort surrounding her in that moment. Her lungs filled with air; fresh and crispy, like the first touch of dew drops on a delicate rose petal. Her lips curled up high on their own, seeking no permission from her. And lastly, her heart, thanked her for remembering the one person who turned every single negative notion in her mind into something pleasant, warm, and bright; just like the smile that made her heart flutter, like a leaf fighting a heavy gust of wind, in her chest.

She changed her clothes slowly and sat down to put on her shoes. Giving in to her desire, she suddenly jumped up and grabbed onto her phone that she had placed inside her open locker. Scrolling down to the 'H' section she swiped her thumb on the name. Her right incisor bit into the corner of her bottom lip when that simple, meaningless, day-to-day action somehow felt too intimate. That single swipe, that single stroke, teased the tip of her thumb with promises she didn't dare think about. She blinked out of haze when a sound emanated from the earpiece of her phone. Remembering that she had made a call, she put her phone to her right ear. "Hello?" She heard Holly repeat the greeting on not getting a reply. There was some disturbance and a few other sounds in the background too. But, Gail being the selfish person that she was, she easily erased everything from the milieu and only permitted Holly's voice to reach her ear.

"Hey," Gail greeted in return, albeit a little delayed.

Holly didn't reply instantly. "Hi."

That word, that one word, was so immensely delicate; the tiny hair on the back of Gail's neck stood up in attention. An electric charge blasted down her spine and her blood stream carried the current forward to every nerve ending. From the scalp to the tip of her fingers, even the fingernails, she felt the tingle. She released a silent sigh of plea to her own body to stop reacting so crazily about everything Holly did or said. "Hey," she repeated, not having enough wit to form a sentence or a half as a matter of fact.

Holly's deep throated chuckle from the other side only provided the much needed oxygen to the struggling embers of desire inside Gail. "Should I say 'hi' again?" Holly jested.

Gail was pacing around the locker room, suddenly restless; oh but this restlessness felt too good to curb, too tempting to cease willingly. She stopped in front of a random locker and leaned her back on it. Not trusting her legs, she slid down and buried her head in between her bent knees. "Gail?" Holly called her name.

"I am here," Gail rushed out, fearing Holly would hang up if she kept putting in the bouts of silence in the middle of the call.

"Don't go silent on me, honey," Holly requested in a low tone. "It's been four days since I have heard your voice. Where are you?"

Gail contorted her face in disappointment; angry at herself. She had talked to the older woman but only through texts. She had not initiated anything from her side, thinking she would appear as a clingy and needy bum with nothing better to do than obsess over Holly. Sometimes she could act as an asshole and an idiot at the same time and not even realize. Holly's question registered her overworking mind belatedly. "Where are you?" She counter questioned instead of replying.

Holly stayed silent for a few seconds. "The penny," she supplied shortly, "with colleagues." The brunette seemed to be occupied with something else on the other side. "Why aren't you here? Your friends just walked in some time ago." The deep base and the lilt in Holly's voice decreased a scale. "I looked for you; I wanted to see you, Gail."

Gail had no idea what to do. She wanted to bang her head on the lockers and bleed to death. This was fucking torture; pure and utter torture, worse than the third-degree the police used for criminals sometimes, worse than the lethal injection, or worse than the chair, or whatever form of worst torture existed all around the world. She folded her free left hand across both her bent knees and settled for thumping her forehead over those slightly muscle-covered bones for the time being. "I want to see you too," she whined and increased the frequency of her thumping. If this was the state she would be reduced to with Holly all the time, she was going to have to make reservation in an old age home for the overly premature senile cases!

"Well, then come to The Penny." Holly suggested but her tone was tentative.

They had not been to the pub together after that incident with Holly's stupid friends. She opened her mouth to retort a little irritatingly but her voice box forbade her from making that mistake and rightly so. In its place, she found herself agreeing. "Okay." She breathed in deeply and released it in form of a soft but audible sigh. "Yeah, sure," she muttered and nodded her head a few times. "I will see you in fifteen, Hol."

"Yeah, sure," Holly replied and the police officer could detect the anticipation that was camouflaged as forced casualness. "See you soon, Gail."

Gail exhaled a short, oxygen deficient breath and mumbled a 'see you soon' before disconnecting the call abruptly. "Fuck," she cussed and stood up unsteadily. She felt like she had just finished ten rounds with Mike Tyson and lived to tell the tale of triumph. Her ears were red and burning, her eyes were wide like an addict's in a desperate need of a fix, her palms were sweaty and clammy, her insides felt twisted and were aching faintly, and her heart was metaphorically ten times its original size; it most certainly felt so inside her chest. It had to be to generate so many feelings, so many emotions, so many sensations, and all of that, at the same damn time! No rest, no respite, no break, and definitely no reprieve. Was there something greater than love in the world? Because she had been in love and it was not even close to what she kept feeling with Holly. If what she felt in the past wasn't love, then was this?

"Oh god! Have some fucking mercy," she growled into the empty room and stomped her right foot forcefully. She needed her mind to go numb; absolutely no thinking for a few hours, better yet, no thinking at all for all her life from this moment on, she knew it was a pipe-dream. She pulled the jacket from her locker and slammed it close; the rattle of metal banging against each other echoed through the emptiness of the walls enclosing around her and also yanked her further out of reverie. She forced herself to focus on unpleasant thoughts as she started walking out of the division. Just till she reached The Penny; she knew her brain will be tarn of gooey nonsense when she would reach the pub as Holly would be there, waiting for her. She combed her right hand fingers through her hair and subtly pulled at the short platinum blond strands as she found herself on the verge of thinking about Holly and the absolute, pure awesomeness she possessed.

* * *

Holly worriedly eyed the phone that was clutched in her hand. The abrupt manner in which Gail had disconnected the call, summoned her insecurities to surface. She had done nothing but provide the younger woman with as much space and time she needed. Was that not the right move? Four days were certainly enough for Gail to retreat back into her presumed safe place, right? But they had talked...granted through texts only, but the blond woman always replied and in some instances even initiated the back and forth digital conversation. And Gail had just called her, right? What was Holly supposed to think? She felt someone place a hand on her right shoulder. She turned and came face to face with the newest hire of the forensic team, a junior toxicologist; who was overly friendly with her despite knowing of her uninterested sexuality. She liked to address him as Mr. Denial in her mind.

"Who was that? You look worried," Mr. Denial gave his one dime of a very obvious observation with a smug and satisfied look that grated Holly's patience; more so than usual, now that her mind was already a little preoccupied.

She gave him a tight smile and subtly shrugged off his hand. "A friend," she provided tersely.

They were all milling around a pool table. She had stepped aside to receive the call. Without sparing Mr. Denial another thought or look she walked to the table and picked up her the bottle of left-over beer which she had discarded in a hurry earlier. She winced as she swallowed. The beer had become too warm to be soothing. She strangled an irritated groan when she saw Mr. Denial watching her. He gestured to her drink and asked if she wanted another one. She shrugged casually and nodded. "Sure, thanks," fortunately that got rid of him for a few minutes at least.

She denied any request to join the game and assured them that she would rather enjoy watching. As they started playing she found herself distracted with the over-dramatic banter and insults thrown at each other. Her boss, a woman in her late forties, was the one throwing the most comical insults. She laughed out loud when the next derogatory term her boss used was equivalent to a baby who still needed breastfeeding. Mr. Denial walked toward the group with his eyes shamelessly caressing the contours of Holly's body. She was in the midst of the story her boss was telling her about how to come up with interesting belittling insults for macho guys. Mr. Denial came to stand by their side and smiled like he had been enjoying the story from the beginning.

Holly all of a sudden felt liked she was being stared at. Keeping the smile on her face she scanned every face in the pub. Surely enough she was being observed. Gail was standing at the doorway looking at her. She tuned out the story from her boss. The blonde didn't look any different, not physically. But the brunette felt something in the gaze. She saw Gail frown and flick her eyes to her side and walk away.

Holly blinked. Her jaw clenched when she saw that Mr. Denial had taken it upon himself to get the bottle of beer in her hands. While she was busy keeping Gail's gaze, he had brought her hand forward and literally closed her fingers around the sweating bottle. She huffed angrily. She let the bottle go and it crashed on the ground. She didn't even flinch. She glared into Mr. Denial's eyes. "Do not touch me without permission ever again...never," she growled and pushed him away physically; not forcefully but enough to increase the space between them. She flicked her eyes to her boss and muttered a genuine 'sorry' before stomping away; the crushed glass crunching beneath her boots.

Holly had seen Gail enter the dim-lit hallway leading to the restrooms. She proceeded in the same direction hurriedly. She skidded to a stop when she saw the younger woman leaning against the left wall at the far end. The hallway was shining with a very light orange hue. It didn't have any over-head bulbs or tube-lights. In the middle of both the walls, there was a cavity where a high voltage white bulb was fixed. A thick ornamental glass with designs and patterns on it covered the cavity. That glass was painted in orange, red, and yellow. The light that refracted through the glass gave the hallway a very soothing and seductive texture. Holly breathed in relief and took slow, deliberate steps toward the far end of the right wall. Without a word, she dittoed Gail's posture and leaned back.

Holly dropped her eyes. Gail was wearing a pair of slim dark blue jeans; the ends were tucked inside an ankle length black boots. She darted her eyes purposely over those legs and committed every detail into her memory. She lifted her gaze and scanned up the torso. The dark red loose fitting shirt-tails were haphazardly folded inside the jeans, a thin black belt with small, shiny steel off-centre buckle worked as a perfect contrast. The upper two buttons were undone. The expanse of visible pale skin sucked all the moisture from her mouth and her tongue slipped out to soothe her cracking lips. The black leather jacket just completed the ensemble with a flawless finesse. Her eyes fell on the blood red painted lips that were slightly parted. At last she stared into the cerulean eyes she had craved for four days now. They held her heated gaze, unblinking and unmoving.

Holly was itching to touch. She rubbed her palms on the wall behind her. Her breathing shortened and she knew she needed to act soon. She didn't have any power against the magnetism that was Gail. She swallowed and pressed her fingertips into the wall preparing herself and in the next moment her whole body propelled off the wall like a cannonball.

Gail was ready for her. Too many things happened in a very short span of time. She thought she would be the one pushing into the blonde's curves but the result was exactly the opposite of it. Gail had easily used Holly's momentum to swivel them both on the spot. Thus, the brunette was the one with her back pressed into the hard surface behind her. The younger woman was clutching her hips tightly. Holly realized due to her boots, she was slightly towering over the other woman. A slow smirk started to decorate her lips but it turned into a confused frown when she felt the police officer shove her instep to the side and broaden the space between both her legs. Two taps on both her insteps and her legs were wide enough to bring her eyes exactly at Gail's level.

Gail's face was almost blank but the tempest was so freely visible in her indigo eyes. The younger woman took a step forward and exhaled heavily as their curves fitted against each other. Her right hand draped over Holly's back from left to right; her fingers easily curled around the slim waist on the other side. Gail then brought her left hand up and tamed a few wild locks away from Holly's neck. With that taken care of, her now free left hand fingers interlocked with Holly's right ones. The blonde woman caught her dark brown eyes and conveyed a silent message.

Gail then brought their interlaced hands above Holly's head and held it there forcefully. She then began to bend her head and brought her lips a breath away from Holly's. Holly was thrashing in need inside and impatiently she tried to dove down and imprison those blood red lips with her own. But to her dismay, Gail turned slightly at the last possible moment and went directly for the major kill. Just above her jugular, she felt Gail bite into her skin. In the moment she felt those sharp teeth dig into her skin, the blonde increased the sensation a thousand times by pushing her pelvis into Holly's parted legs vehemently enough to lift the older woman off the ground for a second.

Holly's eyes clenched shut as she felt the skin that was being held hostage in between Gail's teeth, getting showered with slimy saliva with the help of the blonde's tongue simultaneously. She shivered, she groaned loudly; not caring if they were making a public spectacle of themselves. Her free left hand went to pull at the short platinum blond hair and fisted them tightly, painfully. The reprieve for the burning patch of skin wasn't for long as Gail repeated the routine with the skin just under the edge of Holly's jaw; including the vigorous push into her pelvis.

Holly groaned again. "Fuck," she hissed as she felt the pressure in between her legs. She tried to rotate her hips and greedily gain the friction against the slight but hard protrusion of Gail's pelvic bone but alas, there was no space available. A warm, wet, tongue soaked a long and languid path over the side of her neck and snaked inside her right ear. She shivered at the feeling of wetness and cold there. "Gail," she helplessly breathed the only coherent thought flickering through her mind. Without delay, she found herself untangled, abandoned, and oddly cold. On instinct, she brought her left hand up and balanced herself on the wall. Gail was panting noisily and was standing across from her. She was staring at Holly with something akin to terror and need; both fighting to govern her senses. Before Holly could right herself the blond woman rushed out of her reach and closed herself inside one of the washrooms. Holly was left behind in pathetic useless bundle of twisted, burning, and over-excited nerves wheezing for full, complete, satisfying breaths.

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**So? Thoughts? **

**Review please...I won't know shit until you let me, right?**

**Hopefully it was worth your time.**

**Thank You**

**Until next time**


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: I can't seem to stay away. **

**Works for you all very well, right? **

**Thank you everybody for such immense response. **

**For every favorite, every follow, and every review.**

**Sorry for anyone who read the previous version.**

**I got carried away and was angry. **

**And just avoid that from happening again, fr****om now on, I am moderating my reviews and deleting any thing that is nonsense!**

**Disclaimer: Undecided! Still waiting for a call from the RB producing bunch... tick-tock, people! ;))**

**Story is mine. So are the mistakes. **

**Now, without further delay, kindly...**

**Enjoy!**

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**Staggering Along The Way**

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**And We Keep On Falling**

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As soon as Gail closed the door, she immediately went to grab for the sink. Her heart was trying to beat out of her chest and her whole body was shaking visibly. She stood there with her head dipped, shuffling from foot to foot, and still panting, still grasping for a long, complete breath. When she raised her head to face herself in the mirror, she expected to see a wide-eyed, addicted look stare back at her but instead she found something else entirely. There, gaping back at her was a pair of dark blue eyes, pupils dilated enough to make them distinct. Her nostrils slightly flared with every drudging breath she took. Her cheeks, her neck, and she suspected the upper chest too, were all flushing red. But the most surprising and amusing was the smirk that her lips had formed without her knowledge. She observed that formation of her lips with intelligent eyes. It depicted a sense of pride and accomplishment. Of what though, she asked herself.

Gail tried to diminish the smirk, wipe it off completely but it was very adamant on staying. Gradually her whole attention was focused on it solely. Her body stopped shaking, her pupils had reduced to their natural diameter, the blush was in the process of washing away, but her lips just plainly refused to go back to its natural setting. She narrowed her eyes at her taunting reflection and repeated the earlier question. What was she feeling so proud of?

It was pure instinct when Gail had turned the tables on Holly earlier. She would have stayed the submissive one if it weren't for all the feelings she had in the locker room suddenly push her into action. The power surge she had felt as she held Holly against the wall was something inexplicable. The adrenaline rush that occurred in her veins due to that single action was only the prelude to what happened next.

Holly's hot breaths teasing her ear, the groans, the warm sighs, and the hot hisses, had encouraged her. The way she could bring out all those reactions from Holly gave her a sense of achievement. And the knowledge that it was because of the desire for her that the brunette surrendered so willingly became the point of pride. She knew, without a speck of doubt in her mind, that she was wanted; that she was desired in a way she had never been before. Someone as amazing as Holly craved for her; physically, emotionally, mentally, spiritually, and in every way possible. Holly wanted her as much as she wanted the other woman. She wasn't alone in the tribulations of this incessant yearning for the older woman.

Gail desperately wanted to consume the core of Holly's essence and in turn wished to be consumed; bit by bit, breath by breath, so that she could witness her own sweet destruction and revel in it. If their kisses and expressions of desire thus far was anything to go by, Gail knew one thing for certain. The day she would completely and entirely merge with Holly, that day would be the day to mark her rebirth; her soul would rise anew from the ashes of its predecessor's demise.

After she had deciphered all that, the smirk morphed into a simple, sated smile. She watched herself in the mirror and whispered the name that was soon becoming her only source of calm and peace. "Holly." Her lips upturned and she was grinning like a fool but she didn't care. She felt insanely happy in that moment. Her heart was beating perfectly but there was this sensation of peace and giddiness blanketing it. Her stomach felt empty and queasy but in a good way. Holly had said she didn't want her to change but despite not wanting to, she realized, she was in the process of changing and she knew it was for the better. That's why, she declared to herself, that she would never question whether she was deserving of Holly or not. If she is not right now, then she would try her hardest to become the person who deserved Holly. She would try to be for Holly what the brunette was soon becoming for her; her salvation, her sustenance, her lifeline, her soul, her heart, her everything.

* * *

Holly was bent over with her hands on her knees trying to control her breathing. The firepower was still rushing through her veins. She was so foolishly and undeniably aroused. Her groin still kept clenching in anticipation as the expectant remnants of heat willed to break free. "God," she faintly moaned. Gail's aggression had broken her stoic exterior and banged open the barrier of control. She gradually brought down any physical evidence of her enlivened libido and focused on breathing. She jumped up straight when suddenly out of the blue she felt someone prod at her shoulder. "Fucking hell," she cursed.

Her boss stood a foot or two away from her eyeing her suspiciously. Her boss waited ample amount for the startled woman to calm down a little, "are you alright?" she asked concern evident in the voice.

"Huh?" Holly scrunched up her face. She hadn't registered the question. Her mind was too busy shifting gears from wanting to see Gail in front of her but instead finding her boss. "Sorry...I uh..," she gestured her hands uselessly and fumbled with words. She expanded her chest and consumed as much air as she could and exhaled it evenly, without hurry. Her glasses had slid down almost to the tip of her nose so she pushed them back. She offered her boss an awkward smile and shrugged her shoulders to factor some sense of casualness in her stance. "Sorry for storming off like that earlier." She finally managed without making a fool of herself.

Her boss smiled sympathetically. She stepped forward and placed a comforting hand on Holly's right forearm. "Don't worry," she said softly. "I have noticed him being a little obnoxious. He shouldn't bother you anymore but if he does," the older woman raised her eyebrows to indicate that it was to be taken as an order, not just a suggestion, "you come to my office and file an official complaint. Do you understand?"

Holly smiled in gratitude. At least Mr. Denial will stop being a daily issue at work now. "Thanks boss." She watched the other woman's face contort in distaste. Even though being Holly's superior, she never like being addressed as 'boss'.

The older woman narrowed her eyes at Holly and pursed her lips in. She huffed. "You know, you are the only who gets away with it."

Holly laughed. Her earlier uneasiness of being caught at a very uncomfortable time by her boss was fading away. "Being your favourite should have some perks after all," Holly wisecracked, delighted to see her boss smiling back at her.

"Hmmph," the older woman muttered. "Don't make me cut those wings off, Holly."

"I would never give you an opportunity," Holly assured with confidence.

The older woman kept smiling and shook her head. She too, like Holly, enjoyed their small out-of-work comfortable banter. She checked her watch and remembered the real purpose she had come looking for the younger woman. "I actually came to tell you that we are all calling it a day. Will you be staying or leaving?"

Holly took a moment to answer. She couldn't leave. "I will be staying. I am just waiting for a friend to show up." She lied.

"A cop friend?" The older woman questioned in a neutral tone.

"Uh...yeah," Holly replied unsure of what that meant.

The older woman sighed heavily. "I wish all the departments of Forensics were as friendly as pathology wing is with the cops." She voiced her thought a little sadly. She shrugged her shoulders after a moment. "Anyway, you enjoy your time. At least now you won't have a lost puppy following you around." She teased.

"I will," Holly took the tease in stride as she knew it was harmless and in good humour. "Thank you for talking to him, though." She thanked the older woman again.

"No problem but if it continues, you come to me," the older woman said seriously and bid good night to Holly. "See you tomorrow."

"See you tomorrow," Holly returned. She breathed a sigh of relief when her boss was gone. Now, completely relaxed she eyed the closed bathroom door behind which Gail had locked herself. She bit her bottom lip to keep herself from laughing out loud at the childishness of Gail's rushed action. She had no idea what was going through Gail's mind but she chose to believe it was not something bad. She took a moment to calm her nerves and then she lightly knocked on the door and waited for some sort of reply.

* * *

Gail heard the knock. She had been in the process of turning the knob when she heard Holly talking to someone else. She had listened to their complete conversation. She filed that information away for later.

After waiting for maybe only a minute Holly leaned on the door with her palms and pressed her front into the smooth painted wood. "Gail?" She called out softly enough for her voice to be audible through the barrier.

Gail was pretty much in the same position on the opposite side of the door. Her left hand rested on the knob and with her right hand fingers she kept tracing irregular patterns on the wood. "Yeah?" She replied.

Holly smiled and laughed silently. "Are you alright?" She asked as she controlled her reaction to the mirth this situation demanded.

Gail knew Holly was smiling on the other side. She couldn't contain herself either. Her lips were almost temporarily set in a grin that would no doubt appear creepy if someone else was to see her. "Yeah." She gave up briefly.

Holly chuckled. "Are you going to say anything except yeah?"

Gail's grin widened if at all it was humanly possible. "Yeah."

Holly kept laughing lightly. She placed her right hand on the knob. "Are you going to open the door before the night ends?" She tried the knob but it was locked.

Gail felt the slight shake of the knob under her hold. She bit the insides of her cheeks. "Yeah," she deliberately replied. In a sort of innocent way, she was enjoying this particular exchange through a wooden barrier.

Holly was enjoying it too but she wanted to look at the blonde. "Please come out." She requested.

Gail noted the change in the tone. The plea for her to come out was serious. Suddenly she remembered what had happened just few minutes back. She wanted to at least get an idea what the brunette was thinking. "Why?" She asked.

Holly cleared her throat and checked in all the directions to see if there was anyone in the vicinity close enough to listen to them. She didn't find anyone lurking around the hallway and the other washroom was empty. She inhaled deeply. "Because I want to kiss you hello." She baited the blonde.

Gail exhaled at that admission and immediately yanked the door open causing a shocked Holly to fall directly in her arms. "Whoa, Hol," she grunted at the sudden weight upon herself.

Holly was awkwardly bent on her legs and Gail's both arms were holding her up by gripping onto her upper arms. She looked up into the blonde's amused eyes and smiled. Settling her feet comfortably on the ground she straightened herself up. Her smile turned into a wicked grin as she brought her left hand behind her blindly to search for the door. She pushed it to close and very slowly turned them in their place so that Gail's back was facing the door. She took a few steps forward which in turn made the younger woman to walk those exact steps backward. When their movement got obstructed by Gail's back hitting the door, the older woman with her left hand clicked the lock shut; all the while keeping the younger woman's gaze.

As soon as Gail heard the distinct click of the lock fell in place her left eyebrow arched up to her hairline. Holly didn't bother answering, just kept up with her moves. The older woman intertwined their fingers together and brought both her hands above her head, much like she had done previously. Then the brunette dismissed any space that breathed in between them by pressing herself into Gail, very carefully and very slowly. She couldn't stay voiceless anymore. She softly cleared her throat and prepared the platform so that she could make a sound without any hindrance. "What are you doing?" She was glad that she hadn't lost the capacity to produce sound but that question came from somewhere deep in her throat. It was breathy and the heavy base in her tone had increased tenfold.

Holly gulped. This wasn't something that affected only the blonde. "Giving you the taste of your own medicine." She responded in a raspy voice as she stared down at the younger woman.

"Oh?" Gail muttered. The hot wisps of Holly's breaths upon her lips were too distracting.

"Yes, Gail! Oh," Holly answered in a normal tone. "I told you I was here with my colleagues. And one of them is my boss." She snorted shortly and shook her head. "Thank god I have long hair that actually covers my neck." She explained without actually explaining.

Gail frowned in confusion for a second before another 'oh' of realization tumbled out of her lips. She laughed lightly and the slight shaking of her body against Holly's threatened the tasteful sensations to ascend. She swallowed and tilted her head a little forward teasingly, bringing their lips just inches apart. "Is it that bad?" She inquired in a hushed whisper.

Holly blinked away the temptation so close her. She tipped her head to her right so that her hair gathered at the side. When the volume was adequate and sufficiently heavy, she flicked them forcefully enough so that all her dark, long locks quite astonishingly ended up at the left side of her neck; leaving the right side completely exposed. "See for yourself." She offered.

"I thought that thing with hair only happened on television," Gail mumbled with an impressed look. She nodded her head a few times as if approving the move. Her eyes then went to the task they were supposed to carry out. The bruise was angry red and the size was striking too. She must have opened her mouth remarkably wide; almost as wide as she always opened when munching on an apple. The other one, just beneath the corner of the jaw, was not that visible but not exactly invisible either. She really did feel bad. Nobody wanted their bosses to notice a hickey the size of Texas on their neck. "Sorry," she mumbled and freed her left hand from Holly's right hand. She gently traced the boundary of the redness. Her fingers remained where they were as she gazed up into the brunette's intense eyes. "Does it hurt?" She whispered.

Holly kept staring at the blonde. A sweet smile adorned her lips minutes later. She raised her right hand and caught Gail's that was on her neck. She separated the fingers and stretched the hand to its full shape. Keeping a firm hold, she placed that open palm and fingers at the crook of her column. Then she tenderly moved them along the length of her bare neck. The texture of Gail's palm felt a little rough on her soft skin but it felt too good to think of that particular contrast. "Your touch, your kiss," Holly began in a very quiet and low tone, "your bite, and anything you do can never hurt me, Gail. Okay?" She exhaled and dropped her hands to caress the blonde's cheeks with the back of her fingers. "And don't be sorry. Never be sorry for doing exactly what you feel like. Not with me."

The last three words were spoken very intimately. Gail's eyelids closed for a moment. When she opened them, the older woman was saying too many things with only her eyes. The deepest layer was the dark chocolate of desire, above that was the light brown combination of comfort, calm, and peace, it was preceded by the glint of affection so soft and tender; it felt too close to love. "Holly, do you feel this too?" Before she could understand she had pronounced her mind in the open.

Holly blinked when the Gail's small tone caught her attention. She had admiring the depth of those clear blue eyes. She didn't want to be over-confident in presuming that she could read Gail fairly easily but since the beginning she had been able to look just deep enough to see what the blonde truly felt in contrast to what the younger woman portrayed for others. "Feel what, Gail?" She asked not knowing what the blonde was referring to.

"Don't you think it's overwhelming? All these feelings," Gail noticed to herself that she was getting rather good at speaking her mind with Holly.

Holly's fingers journeyed up and glided across the blonde's temple, stroking through the short hair repeatedly. "It is," she breathed almost inaudibly. "The constant desire to be physically close to you, to be touching you in some way, the frustration of acknowledging my helplessness against my own mind for turning every second thought about you, the wish to lay my eyes on you anytime I want, basically the madness of wanting to be with you every waking and sleeping second," she breathed in and scoffed mockingly. She nodded her head twice and added. "Yes, Gail, it is overwhelming."

Gail sighed and freed both her hands. She shuffled some and wrapped herself tightly around the taller woman. She squeezed at Holly's waist and buried her head into the warmth under brunette's chin. She hummed in approval when Holly's hands closed around her securely. "I love how we fit together," she mumbled into the base of the other woman's neck. Just she and Holly, nothing else mattered in that moment. The world was merely a realm where they existed but in Holly's arms was her own private little universe where she didn't just exist, she lived.

Holly nuzzled her nose over the short blond hair and smiled when they tickled her skin. She was right; Gail was starting to open up to her. Her heart swelled at the feeling of acceptance. She breathed in the collaborated scent of lavender shampoo, salt, a little dry sweat, and something that distinctively completed the enticing aroma that was Gail. "I love it too," she muttered her unquestionable agreement against the smooth blond hair.

* * *

**So? Thoughts? **

**Please review. A healthy criticism is always most welcome...**

**Hopefully it was worth your time.**

**Thank You**

**Until next time.**


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: Hey guys. Hope you all are well. **

**I really am overwhelmed with the response for this series. **

**It scares the shit out of me and with every chapter I fear I am going to disappoint the readers.**

**Thank you for every favorite, every follow, every review. **

**A few reviews suggest that people find the extent of details a little too much. **

**I just try to put forward a scene exactly the way I picture it. **

**Due to the pronouns, sometimes I make mistakes and it gets left out during editing too. **

**And I am sorry about it. Thank you all so much for still bearing with me even though I make such stupid mistakes...**

**Mistakes are mine and so is the story. Oh, and the minor time jump too. **

**Foregoing the disclaimer from now on. Anybody who cares, refer to previous chapters. **

**This chapter taps into Holly's characteristic that makes her an imperfect human being. **

**Hopefully you will like it. Without further delay...**

**Enjoy!**

* * *

**Staggering Along The Way**

* * *

**To Create The 25th Hour**

* * *

Holly jerked awake. Her whole body was stiff; especially her neck. She blinked and frowned at the unfamiliarity of her surroundings. Huh! She had fallen asleep in the public library. She sighed and slouched back on the wooden chair, closing her tired eyes for a few minutes more. Her job was a passion that never dwindled and she knew it never would but these were the moments that made her vacillate over the years of built up belief. Almost every year she had to submit at least two articles in the most circulated medical journal of that particular year; as a way to promote the forensic aspect of medicine so that the state could appeal more and more youngsters to choose forensic science as a career. The glamour quotient in cutting up bodies, examining dirt, insects and slimy little rodents, or even testing the most fascinating poisons in the world was too less to be an enticing career choice. It was all about PR, though. Her phone vibrated again and she remembered the reason she had woken up in the first place. She groaned faintly wanting to stay glued to the spot.

She straightened her back and pushed her chest out to relieve some of the tension in between her shoulder blades. Before she had the chance to put her hand over her mouth, a shameless yawn prodded her mouth wide open. She wanted to laugh out loud; it had been too long since she had felt so lazy, so lethargic to even lift a finger. She took off her skewed glasses and shoved the heap of papers and thick reference books in front of her. Her phone was buried deep under the mountain of papers. Upon unlocking the screen she saw there were three missed calls from Gail. She clicked her tongue softly and made a face. It was almost dark out. Her phone vibrated with a text and she knew who it would be.

"HOLLY!" The text read; all the characters in caps. Gail used that when she wanted to stress upon a certain point while they exchanged texts.

Holly chuckled softly. She could almost picture the frown on Gail's face and the look of displease. "YES." She typed back and placed the phone on the table beside the disorderly heap. She stood up and stretched her limbs. As she waited for Gail to reply, she sorted the useful papers and notes she had written down in the last four hours. The screen of her phone lit up.

"Whr u?" The blonde had a habit of chopping up the words while texting. It was a routine Holly found a little irritating; she herself used proper words no matter how long the text got.

"In the public library," she replied and stuffed the phone in her right front jeans pocket. She then got to work to put the books back from where she had grabbed them. She was trying to shove the last but an extremely heavy book 'The Anatomy Of Blood' into its section when another vibration teased her thigh muscles. She punched the spine of the book and after three strong strikes the book finally was in its rightful place. She took the phone out.

"Doin wat?" The text read. Holly frowned at the absurdity of that query.

"Doing the Hula dance in my coconut bikinis and a G-string," she chortled at the image and sent it to Gail. Picking up her folder, she checked the table twice to see if she was leaving something of importance behind. Not finding anything of use, she went to the front desk and signed herself out. She was already in the car when an incoming call made her phone chime. She laughed and shook her head fondly. There was no need to see who the caller was. She opened her glove compartment and took out the hands-free. She put the phone in the space between her legs and turned the key to ignition. Once the car started, she swiped her thumb on the touch screen to answer the call; she didn't make a sound.

* * *

For two seconds both of them didn't say anything. Holly kept smiling as she backed away from the parking. Gail on the other side of the town scowled at the silence. She pulled away the phone from her ear and eyed it with distaste when no sound came through the earpiece.

"Hello," Gail snapped into the mouthpiece. Holly from the other end didn't reply, only laughed. "Seriously Hol," the blonde chastised.

"What?" Holly innocently asked as she eyed both her left and right before driving ahead onto the road.

Gail knew it would be useless to carry on this thread of conversation. Holly was too good at comebacks. She grinned; it was one of the most entertaining and endearing qualities of the brunette. She sighed and situated herself into the back corner of the stake-out van. Nick was in the front with headphones covering his ears and radio on the ready. She was on a break for about twenty minutes. She stared at the back of his head to see if he was eavesdropping on her conversation. When she found no reaction from him, she closed her eyes and smiled. "A G-string, Hol?" She said in a low tone, too close to the mouthpiece.

Holly was driving at a normal speed. She didn't often drive and have conversations on the phone but she had started to make exceptions for Gail. This was one of them. She laughed. "Why? You don't like G-strings?" She teased the blonde with a throaty lilt.

"Hmmm," Gail hummed. In her mind she was trying to picture Holly in a coconut bikini and a G-string; though a little unsuccessfully. She played her bottom lip with her teeth. "Not particularly ... although I think I will like it too much if it's you wearing them." She swallowed audibly.

Holly easily put her car to stop at an intersection. "Oh yeah," her head was on the headrest and she squirmed in her seat. "What else you don't particularly like but would not mind me wearing?" She knew it was a dangerous game she was playing but it was just too sweet of a torture to deny.

Gail opened her eyes to see what Nick was doing. He was fiddling with the controls and bobbing his head to some music. She changed her position slightly and extended her legs in front of her; her left hand running the length of her left thigh. "Women knickers," she exhaled shortly. "Your black CK one ... I love the way it sculpts your firm thighs."

Holly knew what Gail was talking about. Two weeks ago, Gail had come to her apartment in the middle of the night for an hour; during a break the police officer had taken from stake-out operation. She had been wearing a worn out light blue loose oxford with three top buttons undone and the black Calvin Klein knickers. She jumped a little when the car behind her blew its horn. The green light was on. She sighed and pressed her feet on the accelerator. "Gail," she tried to laugh but couldn't. "You are going to make me swerve off the road."

Gail frowned and opened her eyes. "You are driving?"

"Yeah," Holly replied and added before the blonde could say anything. "I will be home in about five minutes."

"Should I hang up," Gail asked directly.

"No," Holly instantly answered. "No ... no. Just ... um... can we talk about something else?" She suggested.

It was fair, Gail thought. And also she didn't want the brunette to get into an accident. "Sure," she agreed but not quite happily. She shifted again and crossed her legs with her left hand trapped tightly between in her thighs. That hand would keep teasing her if she let it.

"How long have you been in that van?" Holly inquired as she picked up speed. That way she could be home in less than five minutes. She could talk to Gail about anything she wanted without risking her life.

"Since the afternoon," Gail responded simply. She didn't want to talk about her stake-out. She knew Holly would start asking questions and then the brunette's mood would take a U-turn to worse faster than a shooting star. "Just took a break ten minutes ago."

Holly didn't react as she was busy pulling her car into her building and trying to align the vehicle perfectly into the assigned parking space. She turned off the ignition and clutched the steering firmly. "I am in the parking," she informed the police officer; her voice very low and breathy.

Gail clenched her jaw and shut her eyes close. "I want to do more than just talk about it, Hol," she breathed out unsteadily.

"I know," Holly retorted in a similar restless manner.

"It's been two months," Gail complained. "I don't get to see you enough and I am going crazy here."

"I know, honey," Holly sympathized but they couldn't compromise their work just because they wanted to have sex. Making time for each other was proving to be the most difficult task of all. They talked plenty on the phone and texted each other frequently but the bizarre and opposite nature of their work shifts seldom allowed them to be physically present in each other's company. They were always too tired or their time together was so rushed that it felt empty and forced. "I miss you so much, Gail."

"I miss you too, Hol," Gail softly declared. "I don't have to be back on this stake-out till tomorrow afternoon."

"Your shift?"

"Only three hours more."

"Come here after?" Holly smiled when she realized their sentences were getting shorter and shorter.

"Not tired?" It was a Friday and the brunette had spent a few hours in the library after work too. Gail didn't want to be presumptuous.

"No," Holly countered briskly. "Got your key?"

"Yup." Gail grinned. Holly had given her a copy so that she could come and go as she pleased. "Always."

"Dinner?"

"Leave me something in the fridge," Gail replied.

Holly felt like they were concocting some sort of escape plan. It was very ridiculous. Maybe this is how her time with Gail was going to be; stolen and planned out to the last detail. "We don't have to do this if you are..." she was in the process of providing an out to the younger woman when a deep groan from the other side interrupted her.

Gail hadn't intended to do that. She was just too far gone to care about manners. "Holly," her voice literally shook when she uttered that name. "I can't always put out the fire myself, okay? It's not enough," Gail confessed through clenched teeth. "Not anymore. I want you ... I need to be with you. I have to feel you before this madness makes me lose my mind, Hol." She rushed out in heated whispers.

Holly moaned softly at Gail's confession. She could not stop from imagining the blonde trying to satisfy herself. She irritatingly slapped her right hand against the rough plastic of the steering and slouched into the seat a little more. "Trust me, I know." She husked out and went quite after that. They both just kept breathing into their phones without saying a word. Suddenly Holly blinked and thought about the police officer's stake-out. She hadn't asked the most important question. "Who is with you in the van?"

Holly's abrupt question successfully doused Gail's arousal like a bucket of ice water. She didn't answer immediately. She looked at the back of Nick's head for a few seconds wishing he would disappear and she could truthfully tell her girlfriend that she was alone. She was too tempted to lie so she stalled. "Why?" A few more seconds and she knew that this conversation would not end too well.

Holly doubted when the blonde didn't answer. When Gail avoided answering the question with a counter question her doubt transformed into a confirmation automatically. "It's Nick." She stated confidently and scrunched her jaw painfully. Like always, that name left a bitter taste in her mouth. And like always, the irrational anger replaced the arousal in her veins.

Gail could practically feel the brunette fuming. These last two months they had talked enough about their life to know certain things about each other. She had told Holly about Nick which she now thought was a very bad idea. Every time the older woman got angry without reason. Apparently, both of them working together in the police force was reason enough for Holly's fury; which was too ludicrous to even try and understand. "Yeah, I am with Collins." She tried to keep her tone neutral.

Holly wasn't supposed to feel this way. She tried her hardest, god knows, she tried. But insecurities were there for a reason. And this one person, grated at those insecurities so expertly that she always surrendered. "Well, then don't let me keep you from Officer Collins," she sniped and made a face in anticipation of Gail's angry retort; most of the time it was very crude and hurtful.

Gail breathed in deeply. No matter how many times, Holly always reacted in worse ways where Nick was concerned. The brunette knew that Gail didn't handle drama very well. It irritated her and made her snarky; more so than she normally was and in a very vindictive way. She straightened her posture and uncrossed her legs. "You know what; it's actually a very good idea." She snapped back and continued. "I was just about to ask him to scratch my itch as soon as you would hang up." The words were out of her mouth before she could think. She pushed away the phone, "damn it," and hissed inaudibly so that Holly could not hear her regret.

Holly's features hardened almost instantly. Her right fist punched her right thigh a few times. She swallowed and pulled away the keys from ignition. Her mind had started playing the imagery of Gail and Nick together. It was so unpleasant that she wanted to trash her car to ruins and cry out helplessly at the same time. She knew Gail's retort wouldn't be very friendly but did the blonde not know how insensitively it could fondle the one and only point of diffidence she had? She pushed her left hand thumb and forefinger under the glasses and pressed the tips into her closed eyes to stop the furious tears. "Fuck you, Gail," she growled heatedly and hung up. She snatched the hands-free out of her ears and shoved it back into the glove compartment. Without wasting another second, she picked up the folder resting on the passenger's seat and trudged her way to the elevators.

* * *

Gail jerked back when she heard Holly curse. She bent her legs and bumped her head on the knees repeatedly. This was the most confusing aspect of her relationship with Holly; the seemingly unexpected manner in which the temperament around them altered without notice. She didn't know how to react in such circumstances. These abrupt adjustments in moods threatened to give her mind a whiplash every single time. This wasn't the first argument and it would not be the last, she knew that. She hadn't screwed it up in the last two months and she didn't want to do it now. That comment was insensitive and very hurtful. Holly had been very open to her about all the insecurities the brunette felt regarding her past. The fact that she had only been with men before somewhat made the older woman hesitant to invest completely in the relationship. And Gail had sensed it. But the Nick thing was particularly a sore subject. She heaved a deep sigh and stared at her phone. After a few minutes of thinking hard she decided to call Holly back.

Gail kneeled and bending forward prodded at Nick's shoulder. He turned to her and took off the headphones. "I am going out for a few minutes," she informed him and turned back to open the door.

"What?" Nick mumbled confusedly. "Gail, you can't do that. The suspects might see you."

"I am not an idiot, Collins," Gail snapped angrily. "I am wearing all black and I know how to stay out of sight." She inhaled. "Just two minutes, Nick. Okay?" She offered in a slightly softer tone.

Nick kept looking at her blankly. A few seconds later he blinked and nodded twice. "Be careful, Peck." He said and turned back to face the front.

Gail opened the door and swiftly jumped out. Without making a sound she closed it behind her. She checked the buildings around her and found no sudden movements. Taking a few measured steps she reached the nearest building and pressed herself into the wall to disappear. She took out her cell and with expert fingers made the call with limited swipes across the screen and pressed it over her ear to diminish the light the device emitted.

* * *

Holly was swirling the wine and staring into it when the phone went off. She took a large sip of the chilled chardonnay and bent forward to pick it up from the coffee table. The anger was still there, inside her, but she realized she had to answer. She was at fault, more so than the blonde. Her rage on Nick's mention was not Gail's doing. It was her own irrationality she couldn't control and thus almost every time they argued when his name came up. It was getting tiring for her. She didn't want to be the person who could not see the future with Gail and got stuck about something that happened in the past. She wanted to feel secure; in fact, she did feel secure with the blonde. Christian, she didn't feel anything about; her feelings for him were friendly enough because Gail had never loved him like Nicholas. It was him who made her project her fears and insecurities as a doubt about Gail's commitment. A slow swipe across the screen and she was able to hear the blonde breathing on the other side. Her throat closed immediately and she choked on an audible sob. She discarded the empty wine glass on the coffee table and lay down on her left side.

Gail ran her tongue over the dry lips and struggled to keep her breathing normal. Her eyes were already brimming with moisture. She felt torn up inside. The guilt was gripping her heart, reducing its rhythm to almost nothing. It was horrible. Her right hand reached up to her chest and bunched up the black t-shirt into a fist, right over her heart. She swallowed. "Holly." She whispered. She couldn't say more than that. If she tried to, the dam would break loose and she would be reduced to tears, on her knees, disregarding of her job or the location or the stake-out.

Holly gasped for breath upon hearing her name and cried softly. "You can't say that to me, Gail," she managed in a broken voice. "You just can't." And she continued crying.

"I know. I am sorry," Gail scratched her throat when getting words out took too much effort. "Holly ... baby, please stop crying." Gail tried to calm the brunette down. Her malicious brusque retorts just had to stop. "I am sorry, Hol."

Holly calmed down a little. She knew Gail was sacrificing minutes of job to talk to her. She couldn't be the reason of distraction to the blonde. Not when the job was dangerous enough as it is. "I can't stop." Her voice was hoarse and dry. She brought her knees to her chest and tried to curl herself into a ball; as small and insignificant as she felt at that moment.

"What? What can't you stop?" Gail frantically asked when she failed to understand.

"You," Holly muttered. After a few moments of gathering herself she added. "I can't stop, Gail ... every time I close my eyes I see you with him." Her tone was as spiteful as it could be. "Make it stop, please. I just want it to stop." She begged and pleaded and again the gasping sobs betrayed her by rushing out of her. She gave in and continued to weep softly. She cried because she felt furious at herself for not being able to get over a pathetic insecurity. She cried because her weakness blamed Gail for not understanding her situation. She cried because she feared that maybe this was her own subconscious ploy to try and keep Gail at a distance. She cried because she knew she was already too much in love to care about all the other things. She cried because despite that she found herself caring about all the insignificant things. Her eyes grew heavy as the seconds passed.

Gail was losing her patience and will as the minutes went by. She had to know herself it would be too much. She could never imagine what she would do if she had to see Holly with someone else. Even imagining such a scenario quaked her soul violently. A homicide or a suicide would definitely be on the cards in such a situation, she mused wryly. She wondered, how and when exactly had she allowed Holly to overpower her so much. Everything, every single thing in her life these days began with Holly and ended with Holly. Her happiness, her peace, her job, her life, her breaths, her heartbeats, everything existed because of Holly. She was certain what that meant. But was she prepared to make it real? Was she prepared to put her heart on the line? Again ... risk it being hurt? "Holly, I ..." she had just begun when she realized that there was no sound coming from the other side. She frowned. "Holly?" She called out softly. "Holly." There was no reply. She grew agitated; suddenly too nervous to stay still. She shoved her phone in the back pocket of her black jeans and carelessly trotted back to the van. She jumped in and hurriedly started looking for her things in the back.

Nick turned to look at her. "What the fuck, Peck?" He growled. "This is not being careful. Shut the freaking door." In the dim light he could see that Gail was not alright. She squinted and saw that the blonde had been crying. "Why are you crying?" He asked.

"Tell Oliver I got sick," Gail informed Nick curtly and jumped out of the rapidly closing small space around her. There was nothing else she could think at that moment. She had to get to her Holly as soon as possible. Very soon. Screw the stake-out. Pulling on her jacket she started sprinting towards the busy roads ahead. She couldn't, wouldn't, waste anymore time being a coward. She felt a sense of pride when she realized that this was probably the first relationship in which she was running towards it knowingly instead of running away from it. If Holly was too afraid then so be it; she was prepared to become their strength if such a need arrived. She would be with the older woman every step of the way. She loved Holly, after all.

* * *

**So? Thoughts? **

**Kindly leave a review. It helps and fires up the creativity genes in my DNA! **

**Hopefully it was worth your time. **

**Thank you.**

**Until next time.**


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N: Hello my lovelies...'Sup?**

**So, I got mixed reviews for the last chapter. **

**It was too amusing. You have my gratitude...**

**Thank you for every favorite, every follow, and every single review. **

**This is a little longer chapter than I have been posting. **

**Now, without further ado... kindly proceed. **

**Enjoy!**

* * *

**Staggering Along The Way**

* * *

**As We Temper Down...And Up And Down.**

* * *

Despite hailing a cab it took Gail around 45 minutes to finally reach her destination. Her determination, the resolve, had mostly faded away; taking cover behind the logical side of her mind. She stood before the elevator car thinking whether she should be here or not. If she should give Holly some time to settle down. She didn't quite understand why this time their argument turned quite over the top. Holly's over-reaction had surprised her momentarily and the feeling of being cornered for something she wasn't guilty of had made her respond in the worse way possible. She cringed when she thought back to her stupid comment as she pressed the button. Whatever; she was already here.

Gail silently stepped inside the door and instantly her eyes roamed the living area looking for Holly. There was no sound of movements from upstairs and the lights in the hallway and the kitchen were on. She closed the door quietly and took her shoes off by the door. She started taking off her blazer as she walked inside when her gaze caught the sleeping form of the brunette. Holly was curled up on her left side with her phone discarded nearby on the carpet. Gail threw the jacket on the single seater carelessly and sat down on the table, facing the older woman.

Holly looked surprisingly small for someone who stood taller than Gail in general. The brunette's lips were slightly parted and the skin just above her nose was marred with a slight furrow of eyebrows. The serenity that should have been there was missing. Holly's left arm was bent at the elbow on which her head rested and the right forearm hung limply in the V created by those curved knees. Gail picked up the phone and placed it on the table beside her. She went into the hallway supply closet from where she took out an afghan and walked back to the couch to drape it over the sleeping woman. She gently moved a bunch of those dark locks away from Holly's neck. Bending at the waist, she placed a fleeting kiss on the other woman's temple. The brunette was too deep into slumber to register anything going on around her. As she started to leave for the kitchen she lifted the empty wine glass from the table.

After having the leftover portion of spaghetti and meatballs Gail opted for a short shower. It was pure delight after staying stuffed into a smelly van for hours. She changed into the pair of shorts she had claimed as her own and Holly's favourite faded plaid shirt. Then she picked out a bottle of beer and went to sit by the brunette's side in the living area.

* * *

Holly creased her eyebrows deeply when her knees hit something hard. She was stuck halfway between dreaming and waking. She moved her right hand and for the first time she felt the draped material over her. Somewhere in the back of her lazy mind she realized what that meant. She straightened her legs to their full length; the afghan being pulled away with them to the opposite end of the couch. Her eyelids fluttered in the dark as she shifted on her back. Her left hand was cramping badly due to the continuous weight of her head. She stretched it and jerked it a few times to loosen the muscles. She lifted herself on her elbows and squinted hard to adjust her vision. Gail's head rested on folded arms at the edge of the couch by her left side. She smiled and relaxed back. Her right hand covered her mouth to let out a yawn and her left hand lightly started stroking the blonde hair mindlessly.

Gail felt the soothing strokes and tried to adjust her position but blinked her eyes open when she realized she wasn't lying down on a bed or whatsoever. She sighed noisily and moved away from the couch. The hand running over her hair was retrieved. She turned to her right to see Holly looking at her through lidded eyes. "Hey," her voice was scratchy.

Holly simply smiled and with her hand tried to tame those unruly blonde strands away from Gail's forehead. The back of her fingers caressed the younger woman's cheek. "Hey," she greeted in return. Her knuckles reached the outline of Gail's bottom lip, tracing them back and forth once. She closed her eyes and breathed in deeply before pushing herself up into a sitting position. "You should have gone to bed. Did you at least eat something?" She asked keeping her back to Gail.

"Yeah," Gail audibly exhaled her reply. She realized Holly was intentionally not looking at her. "You?" She asked in return.

Holly cleared her throat and without answering went into the kitchen. She had not eaten anything since lunch that afternoon. She fleetingly eyed out of the kitchen window and realized it must be around two or three in the morning. She remembered there was some salad in the fridge and if she knew Gail, it would still be there. She had just taken out a fork from a draw when the blonde sat at a stool on the opposite side of the counter. Holly didn't pay any mind and silently kept crunching on the tasteless, bland, cold leaves and veggies.

Gail kept wincing at the sound that emanated in every bite but stayed quiet. "I will be on the couch," she quietly announced through gritted teeth and left when Holly refused to engage any kind of interaction.

Holly dropped the fork in the container and clutched the edges of the counter. Her shoulders sagged in disappointment. She put the salad back into the fridge, not quite hungry. Without looking elsewhere she made her way upstairs to the master bedroom but stopped mid-step when Gail called to her from the couch. "Yeah?" She croaked out uncomfortably.

"Where are you going?" Gail's question came out as a demand.

Holly sucked in as much air as possible at once. "I need to shower," she replied in a small voice as she scrambled away from the uneasiness of the moment. She hadn't thought through the aftermath of her actions. She knew her earlier reaction was exaggerated but so was everything when it came to Gail. Did she like being an insecure idiot? No, absolutely not. Was it about trust? No, definitely not. She knew that trust never established overnight. It had been a little more than two months for them and that bond was shaping up quite easily. Actually, Gail was not the problem. She was; her past was. Holly relaxed her tense shoulders and revelled in the warmth of the water running down her body. This was going to be a long night, she concluded.

* * *

Downstairs, Gail doubted that the brunette would willingly come down. She could make out avoidance very clearly as she herself was too good at it. She grabbed another bottle of beer and padded up the stairs. She smiled a little evilly at the fact that the stairs didn't squeak. Holly was wrapped in a towel that reached just below her butt. Gail licked her lips as she took in every inch of the exposed olive skin. Her slanted gaze stayed on those toned, tight, firm thighs as she tilted her head back to swig the beer. The brunette hadn't registered her presence in the doorway yet. She swallowed thickly as she saw Holly pull up her panties under the towel. Gail shook her head at the propriety of the actions. If it was her alone in her bedroom she would be trotting around naked.

Holly dropped her towel at the bed and picked up the tank top. Gail's eyes felt heavy and drowsy with lust. Slowly, as if she were caressing, she stared at the long column of serrations and dips formed by Holly's spine. She saw how enticing the movements of those shoulder blades were when the brunette raised her hands a little. Her nostrils flared with every short, heated breath. It was proving to be too much work. Finally she gave up and parted her mouth as she caught the slight bulge of Holly's plump breasts from the side. Her lungs were oxygen deficient. It wasn't much because in the blink of an eye the tank top covered the whole torso. "No bra?" She whispered harshly from her position.

She saw Holly tense for a second before the brunette shrugged her shoulders nonchalantly. She tried to keep her breathing under control and sat herself down on the edge of the bed just beside Holly's naked legs. She lifted the beer up and the brunette silently took the bottle. With both her hands free and the prize so close in reach, the itch in her palms magnified. She clenched her jaw tightly when Holly shifted and her eyes were exactly in level with the tall woman's pelvis. The flat abdomen under the slight material, the protruding hip bones, the long tight olive thighs; she exhaled heavily and her body swayed forward on its own accord.

Holly watched carefully as lust personified Gail's features. She was momentarily stunned upon hearing the blonde's voice from behind her but then she knew patience really wasn't one of Gail's virtues. "How long have you been watching?" She murmured softly before taking a large gulp of beer.

Gail didn't look up. She didn't want to. Her lips curled into a pleased smirk and an appreciative sound, similar to a soft moan, dived out of her dry throat. "Since before you put these on," she muttered and kept gaping at the waistband of the black panties. Absent-mindedly she took the beer bottle back and placed it on the floor.

Holly didn't approve of being inspected like that without knowledge but she really couldn't complain as it pleased her too much to see the effects on Gail. She turned to move toward her closet to take out one of her cotton pyjamas but a hand on her hip ceased her next movement leaving her a little unsteady. Instinctively she reached out for support and her left hand found purchase on Gail's right shoulder while her other hand gripped the forearm of that held her in place. She looked down to find the dark blue orbs staring up at her. Holly felt the rapidity at which Gail's shoulder rose and fell indicating the shortness of breath. The blonde's free fingers fleetingly ran over the back of her knees and travelled up to her thighs. She chocked on the next swallow when those touches became more pressing. Her head fell back and she clutched at Gail's shoulder for life. "Gail," she groaned; not knowing if she wanted to protest or encourage the action.

Gail seized the hip forcefully and yanked the brunette directly in front of her. Her fingers curled along the back of Holly's left knee. Her pride didn't take it well when the goose flesh started to disappear. She rested her forehead on the lower abdomen and traced the expanse of Holly's warm thigh muscles. The tiny hair all over stood in attention and an amusing but strange sense of satisfaction melted her insides.

Both of Holly's arms now gripped at Gail's shoulders. She could literally feel the hot breath filter through the fabric of her underwear and ghost over the trimmed hair hiding underneath. She swayed forward at her spot when Gail squeezed mercilessly at the slightly stretched and heavy muscles just beneath her ass. She clenched her eyes and gasped but somehow with too much effort kept herself from shoving her groin into the teasing mouth so close within reach. "Fuck," her eyes snapped open to the ceiling of her bedroom when she acknowledge that she had intended to growl 'fuck me' instead of just cussing out of passion.

Gail was panting in desperation and her insides had coiled with need. In her next effort to suck in oxygen she caught a whiff of something else. Something she had not known before. Curiosity got the better of her and she pulled Holly even closer. Both her palms were filled with fullness of thigh muscles as her forehead slid down to rest just above the pelvic bone; over the waistband of Holly's panties. The scent became stronger and stronger which made her sniff greedily. She closed her eyes and pushed her face into the source of that scent. Her nose, through the fabric, brushed over the rough patch of hair. She breathed in deeply.

Being on her feet wasn't quite the wise decision for Holly. She knew this was not the right time. She stood up on her tippy toes as her left hand bunched up Gail's hair with the intention of shoving that tormenting mouth into her throbbing pussy but damn her logical mind! Her right hand helped her resolve by pushing at the blonde's shoulders. "Gail, stop," her voice was too strained. The dark demon of lust clawed at her insides angrily. She swore she could feel the scrapings and recoiled in actual pain.

"What?" Gail mumbled breathlessly, too disoriented to think. Her vision felt clouded and she blinked rapidly to attain the normal sight. The first thing she realized when she came to was that Holly's hands were digging into her shoulders trying pushing her away. The second thing was that her palms still rested on the back of the brunette's thighs. "Sorry," she muttered and retrieved her hands to her sides; hanging limply. Her eyes were wide and staring ahead. Her mind though was trying to catch onto something else entirely. In her next breath she whimpered. The sweet scent of Holly's arousal still wafted through her senses. "God," she groaned and fell back on the bed. As she shifted, she became aware of the surprisingly abundant moisture in between her legs. She crossed and uncrossed and then crossed her legs again and folded her forearms over her face.

Holly was mystified with Gail's antics and found it too adorable to say anything. She huffed tiredly, a little in frustration and a little in satisfaction. Frustration was understandable. And satisfaction because if at all anything had happened, her reasons would be too twisted to make it meaningful. With unsteady steps she went into the closet. There she took out another pair of panties and the pyjama bottom. Distractedly she walked into the bathroom to change. Once in the bathroom, though, she pulled off all her clothes and without adjusting the temperature stood beneath the chilling spray of water. "Fuck me," she roared deep in her throat when the contrast of her hot skin and chilled water made her vibrate all over.

Gail couldn't wrap her mind around what she had almost done. Whenever she thought about sex with Holly she assumed she would need some direction. But her natural instinct seemingly was too in sync with her basic desire. All she had to do was let it take over. Was her mouth really that close to Holly's core? She licked her bottom lip remembering the feel of the soft fabric against her nose and lips. And that scent ... it was so fucking stimulating. The spicy aroma of a woman's arousal ... of Holly's essence in its purest form; she would never have predicted this moment. She lifted her right palm and stared intently at it, unbelievably almost. As she swallowed the saliva her palm travelled to the exposed part of her lower stomach. The heat radiating from her skin felt scorching; her abdomen rippled as the fingers daintily sketched patterns there. Her left hand reached behind her for a pillow and clutched at it. Without thinking too much she dipped two fingers into the hollow adjacent to her hip bones. It would be too easy to go a little lower... she pushed her head back into the mattress and arched her back a little.

* * *

Holly came out of the shower to a very enticing scene. All the water droplets instantly evaporated from her skin. Gail was a vision with her neck strained, mouth parted, tongue poking at the upper lip, back arched off the bed slightly, and thumb stroking the skin over the jutted hip bone. This had to stop or her panties again would be ruined. "I could give you some privacy if you want," she hotly rasped out as she stepped toward the bed.

Gail's back fell back on the mattress. She turned to her right and saw Holly stare at her hip. She smirked and pushed the shorts away a little more, exposing the complete arch of the bone. "You could," she choked out. She prepared herself for the next thing she wanted to say and breathed in. "Or you could stay and watch?" Her smirk widened when Holly's dark eyes immediately flicked to hers.

Holly wasn't amused. "If I stay then I won't just watch." Her reply was trite and banal.

Gail frowned at the tone and pushed herself on the elbows. "Would that be so wrong?"

"No," Holly exhaled evenly. Her gaze was firm, jaw set tight, and lips were pressed together. "But my reason would be too wrong and twisted."

Gail narrowed her sky blue orbs to slits. "And what would that be?" She felt the churning of distaste in her gut. She didn't want to presume but she kind of had an idea where this would go.

Holly sneered dryly. "Do you really have to ask or do you intend to fight again?" She didn't answer directly as she was almost sure the blonde understood.

Gail flopped herself back on the mattress with a frustrated groan. "Holly, you really need to stop thinking about him." If talking was what it took to get this over with then she was ready to talk it out.

Holly walked to the bed and sat beside Gail. She fingered the short and pulled it over the hip before mimicking the blonde's posture. "Believe me, I know." She softly agreed.

"Then what's the problem, Hol," Gail asked as she situated herself on her right elbow facing the other woman lying beside her.

Holly dittoed the posture and ended up facing Gail on her left elbow. She pushed her hair back from her neck. It was still wet. She played with the rolled sleeves of Gail's shirt without replying.

Gail huffed impatiently. "You are not this person, Holly. I know you. So, what the fuck is the matter?" She stressed on every word. She believed every word. Holly wasn't some jealous and passive-aggressive woman. She was way too classy to posses that kind of attitude. But this one thing just got under the brunette's skin and she wanted to know why.

Holly laughed lightly. "I have never been on this side of the equation, Gail." She sat up and flicked her hair. Getting up she got a big hair clutcher from her bedside draw and pulled the bunch haphazardly over her head. She stood by Gail's knee, lovingly looking down at the confused woman. Holly extended her right hand and the blonde, without question, took it. She pulled at their joined hands causing the blonde to whine but sit up straight almost exactly in the position they were in a few minutes back; albeit her being properly dressed. Holly changed it by kneeling down in front of Gail. "When I came to terms with my sexuality," Holly started explaining something as her palms rested on the blonde's knees. "I promised myself something."

"What?" Gail asked interrupting.

Holly smiled at it and mock glared at the younger woman who raised a challenging eyebrow. "That I would never fall for a straight girl."

"Well, I am not a girl. I am a grown woman," Gail petulantly announced. Then with a serious furrow of her brows she inquired. "And who said anything about me being straight?"

"Oh I know damn well how much of a grown woman you are." Holly teased. "And seriously?" She scoffed. "You have only been with men before. Tell me how that doesn't make you straight?"

"But I am with you right now," Gail vehemently declared failing to see the problem. "And does a label really matter?" She shrugged her shoulders indifferently. "I like you, Holly. You," she tapped Holly's sternum twice to emphasise. "You as a person. And if it really makes a difference then fine..." she raised both her arms and grabbed at Holly's face. She stared into the brown pools. "I am a lesbian from this moment on," she enunciated every syllable of that sentence slowly and clearly.

Holly shook her head free and dropped her ass down on the carpeted floor. She sighed as she tilted back to support herself on both her hands. "It's not as simple as you think." She mumbled avoiding Gail's eyes.

Gail knew this talk would not come to fruition. She stayed quiet for a few minutes. "You want to know what I think," she waited for Holly to catch her gaze. "I think that you are not ready to talk about it. I think that you are grappling with excuses and explanations." She shook her head and lifted her hand to stop Holly from disrupting her flow. "I think it is something else entirely and Nick is just an easy target. And lastly I guess you still need some time to commit a hundred percent to this relationship." She inhaled. "Contrary to popular belief Holly, I am not a self-absorbed idiot. I do notice things. Don't think I can't sense your hesitation." She pressed her face into her palms. "Instead of talking you are pushing me away, Hol."

Holly was shocked into silence. Gail was right to some degree. Of course, the fact that the blonde had only been with men bothered her to some extent. It may take some time to come to terms with it but she would eventually get over it; without a doubt. And yes, Nick was a fairly easy target. Sure, she felt angry toward that guy but it amplified when Holly subconsciously neglected the real reason and in turn put all the blame on Gail's past. The indecision of talking about the real thing with the younger woman had been eating away at her mind for a few weeks now. She didn't know how to. As a result of which she was hurting both of them. "I am sorry I over-reacted about Nick. It won't happen again." She apologised honestly. "I will work on that, promise."

Gail snorted into her palms. "Yeah, well ... apparently, your over-reaction causes me to over-react." She smiled at the amusement brimming Holly's eyes. "I should not have said that thing about ... you know."

"Yes, you are never allowed to say that to me. Ever. And especially not when it makes me want to erase every essence of Nick from your body," Holly growled furiously.

"Huh," Gail muttered. "Is that why we are not having sex right now?"

"Uh...yeah," Holly retorted like it should have been obvious. "Why? What did you think?"

"Nothing," Gail replied. She knew it had to do something with that idiot Nick. Holly's possessive tone pleased her though. "Is that what you are worried about?" She slid down from the bed and kneeled in front of the brunette.

"What?"

"That I will miss having sex with men?" Gail scrunched up her face in something akin to disgust.

Holly clenched her jaw. That sentence put all kinds of unwanted images into her mind. "Will you?" She countered.

"I don't know," Gail responded honestly. "But if it happens, I will buy you a toy." She concentrated at something. In the next minute she laughed out loud thumping her fist against her thigh repeatedly. She didn't know what was so funny about it but the damn solution she had provided was too entertaining. She scrambled ahead on all fours and straddled Holly's legs. "A toy," she spluttered and kept laughing.

Holly kept her face serious, though, she could somewhat see the appeal of humour. She had never worried about being an experiment for a straight woman. She had slept with a few but with them it was purely physical. With Gail she was too invested to be comfortable being just an experiment which she knew she wasn't.

Gail gasped for air as she came down from her laughter. "A toy, Holly," she breathed. "Imagine a woman saying that to a guy," she stuttered and a whole new round of laughter bubbled in her guts. "Like, eh," she shrugged disinterestedly, "a penis? Nah ... I can get that in a store." She finished and dropped over Holly as she continued to laugh heartily.

Holly let the blonde enjoy the moment. She brought her left hand to run it through the short hair resting under her chin. She could feel the rumble of laughter diminishing in Gail's chest. She placed a kiss on the blonde's head. They revelled in the innocent physical intimacy.

"But that's not the problem, is it?" Gail asked quietly after a few minutes.

"No," Holly mumbled, brushing her lips over the blonde hair. She pulled back when the younger woman started to sit up.

Gail looked into Holly's eyes trying to decipher what was actually going on. She sighed in failure. Cupping the brunette's cheeks she drew her in. She placed a soft kiss on the opposite pair of lips. It was not a kiss of desire or lust or want; it was a soft promise of reassurance. She ran the pad of her thumb along Holly's full bottom lip. "Baby, I am right here," she declared so softly that it was almost inaudible. "Whenever you are ready to talk, okay?"

Holly smiled sweetly. "I like it when you call me that." She didn't say anything about the other matter. She would when she was ready.

"Call you what?" Gail knew it was the brunette trying to deflect. She let it go for now. The outcome of a forced confrontation was never favourable; she knew that almost as good as anybody who dealt with Elaine Peck.

"Baby," Holly whispered. "Or babe."

"I always call you that," Gail protested indignantly.

Holly wrapped her hands behind the blonde and shook her head. "Nope," she smirked. "You always call me 'Hol'."

"Oh?" Gail scrunched up her nose playfully.

"Yup," Holly teasingly nipped at Gail's chin.

"Hmm," Gail tilted her head to side as the other woman's soft lips started toward her jaw. "Do you not want me to call you 'Hol'?"

"No," Holly mumbled and continued to kiss along the defined jaw. "You can call me whatever you want. I am sure I will like it." She was too distracted to care.

Gail smirked devilishly. "Pumpkin?"

Holly groaned her distaste into blonde's neck.

"Hmmm ... Snookums?"

"God no," Holly muttered and nipped at Gail's pulse point.

"Okay ... how about Hollykins?" Gail giggled.

"No ... absolutely not," Holly mock glared at the blonde and started paying attention to the other side of the beckoning pale neck.

Gail easily tilted her head to the opposite side. "Holly-bear," she mocked the brunette in a sing-song childish tone.

Holly growled into the neck causing Gail to giggle more. The process went on and on. Gail came up with the silliest name possible and Holly showed her dislike in quite a pleasing manner at every single one of those names.

* * *

**So? Thoughts? **

**Kindly take out the time to post a review. ****It helps with the direction of the story. Truly...**

**Hopefully it was worth your time. **

**Thank you.**

**Until next time.**


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N: Well, hey folks. Hope you all are fairing good. **

**Hmm...so, there has been a few disagreements. **

**A person is not a compilation of two or three characteristics. **

**The layers of a human being's soul run deep. **

**Too deep for us to discover it completely. That's all I will say. **

**Hopefully the readers will agree. But, as I know, I can't keep everybody happy. **

**Also, reviews are not positive or negative. **

**If someone posted something on the review board, then that means they, in a way, connected to the story. **

**That's enough for me as a writer. **

**Thank you for every favorite, every follow, every review. **

**Oh ... and paving a way is sometimes same as temporarily losing my sight. **

**Without further delay, please proceed. **

**Enjoy!**

* * *

**Staggering Along The Way**

* * *

**The Common Ground We Stand Atop**

* * *

_I cannot guarantee you will like what you find,_

_I strongly advice you to keep that in mind._

_Don't look closely, don't dig too far, I plead,_

_for I am an abyss, an ocean, too deep._

_Ugliness and darkness might severely bleed,_

_don't forget, the promises, you said you'd keep._

_(No one famous. Just mine)_

* * *

Holly was a jumble of nerves as she kept pacing the hallway. She knew logically that it was selfish of her to leave Gail no choice but to listen to her. She had come to the blonde's frat house with that very intention. She could not postpone it anymore. She had toyed with the younger woman's patience long enough. She needed to confront her past and hope that it doesn't unravel everything around her. She was already too unsettled to function properly. Her fingers desperately closed around the piece of paper she had been clutching since the last half hour. She glanced down at it briefly and breathed in shakily. Her fingers shook when she lifted them up to knock at the door.

Holly heard the movements from inside. She had confirmed with Oliver that Chris and Dov, the two officers who resided with Gail, were at duty. They needed the time together; without any audience. She needed no spectator to what was possibly going to be her worse break down of life. The door was yanked open startling her out of her thoughts. Gail's dishevelled appearance greeted her eyes. The blonde had a furious scowl marring her forehead. A ratty sweater was pulled to its limit in the left fist and a pair of oversized boxers hung loosely on the slender waist; Holly was tempted to smile as she thought there would never be anything more wonderful than this vision of Gail.

"Holly?" Gail barked in irritation. She had to go back to her shift in about five hours; four of those hours, she had planned to spend sleeping. "What are you doing here?"

Holly didn't take offense to the tone. She had an idea how she would be greeted. Without answering she moved past Gail and went to stand by the couch; biting at her bottom lip and wringing her fingers together. Her skin was crawling and the clothing over them amplified the disgusting sensation uncomfortably.

Gail practically felt the nervousness oozing off of Holly. She sighed as she closed the door and went to sit in the middle of the couch. The brunette's body language was too similar to when Holly had come to check on her at the station all those months ago. The first time _she_ had kissed Holly. "Holly?" She tentatively called for the other woman; the unease was now slipping inside her skin too.

Holly immediately started to pace in front of the couch. "I ... uhm...I need to say something. And I want...you...you to just sit and um... sit and just listen, okay?" She scratched at her forehead and licked her lips as she waited for Gail to acknowledge.

Gail narrowed her eyes dubiously. She opened her mouth to instruct the brunette not to be too cryptic but Holly's tender and small utterance of a trembling 'please' stopped her. She swallowed. Not sure why, but this whole thing took her back to the fated day when she had been informed about Jerry's death. Her heart jumped; positioned to block her throat. She only nodded as she pushed herself back into the couch, pulling up her knees and hugging them tightly.

Holly's sigh was very audible but it didn't drain out any tension out of her body. She snatched off her glasses and threw them on the couch beside Gail. She tied her hair up in a messy ponytail before taking off her blazer. The crawling sensation under the skin didn't stop. The piece of paper switched between her hands as per the need. After vacillating for a few seconds she simply handed the off-white, crumpled, old piece of paper to Gail.

Gail stared at the offering sceptically. Without adjusting her position too much she took the piece of paper and unfolded it. The blue ink on the sheet had wilted away. The matter was readable but she had to squint a little. Not wanting to take her eyes off the fidgety brunette for long, she unconvincingly flitted over the faded words. She furrowed her eyebrows and glanced back at the woman standing in front of her. "A love letter, Holly?" She incredulously asked. "What the hell is this supposed to mean?"

"It's not a love letter, Gail. For god's sake, just read it carefully," Holly pleaded impatiently with the blonde and hung her head. Her palms were sweaty and her shoulders pained with an invisible weight she had been carrying for too long. Years of remorse and shame slithered over every column of her unusually tense spine. The blonde would be the only other person to know about the note; besides her that is.

Gail harrumphed as she freed both her hands to hold the note at eye level. "_Holly ... I often wondered how to define love. When I asked people I got so many different versions that it strangled my intrigue altogether. That was until I met you. Without wanting to know this time I came face to face with 'love'. You became my definition of love. You became both; the tears of laughter and pain. You described both; my fear and my strength. You classified both; my preservation and my continuation. You unravelled both; my soul and my heart. But I let it go overboard. I became greedy and so hungry that I never felt sated. I looked into your eyes everyday hoping to see the reflection of your love for me but I never could. It shattered my heart every single time. And yet, hope seldom abandoned me and I continued to seek your soulful eyes for some semblance of love. It pained me to see you try; gave me the feeling like I was forcing myself on you, becoming an obligation for you. But you never once complained. You made me the happiest I had ever been. You gave me such beautiful, tender, and lovely moments that I could hardly contain. Hope, though, became my enemy with time and helplessness mocked my existence. I could not be the reason of your struggle. So, I finally decided to free you from the burden I unknowingly put you under. And I thank you for loving me. In your own way, Holly, you did love me. As I always say, you, Holly Stewart, are my Kryptonite. This time I was too weak to fight back. Forgive me. Forever yours, Nat_." That name was hidden in the prominent creases of the bottom most fold. Moisture made the azure pools translucent as a realization dawned on her. The tattered piece of paper burned her fingers where it touched. She lifted her eyes to see Holly watching her attentively, stiffly, and fearfully. "It's a ..." her voice was rough. She cleared her throat with force. "It's a suicide note?" She inquired in a tone just above a whisper in spite of knowing the answer.

Holly's body sagged at those words as a ragged sob choked out of her. She nodded her head as she reached out blindly for some support. She was back in Vancouver, sitting in the police station, answering questions the rookie officer was asking about Natalie's state of mind. That was her first brush with death; so closely, so intimately. The gravitational pull at the moment was so strong that her legs started giving away. Her right hand found the television and she slowly slid down on the ground. "Yeah ... it is." She gave an unnecessary verbal confirmation. This was the first time she was willingly facing her past. Mostly it haunted her dreams; sometimes in months and sometimes in years.

Gail could tell Holly's mind wasn't in the present. Whatever happened with this Nat girl had left the brunette too raw and open. She suspected Holly dealt with this matter in the past; if ever. She fleetingly wondered how twisted the universe was to bring two people together who shared somewhat of a similar burden. "What happened?" She gently posed the question and came to sit by Holly's side on the floor; without touching the brunette for now. She refused to let go off the note and kept it crumpled in her left fist.

Holly acknowledged the voice by turning to her right and blankly staring into Gail's pale blue eyes. They were such a contrast to Natalie's bright green ones. "Pre-med," she quietly began. Her head turned back to gape at the empty couch. "I met her at the university." She went silent.

Gail didn't prod Holly to continue. The cracking voice lugged the load along with it; she could relate to it so easily. She swallowed audibly and blinked away the temptation to be pulled into her own misery. Where this was going, she didn't know but right now Holly needed someone to just listen.

Holly bent forward as she harshly rubbed at her prickly eyes. "Natalie Stokes, she was a year senior." Her voice was muffled as she buried her chin in her folded forearms over her bent knees. "She looked younger though; small round face, thin lips, tiny but pointed nose, and bright emerald eyes." She was surprised at how vividly she remembered those features. Her mouth opened and closed a few times before she gave up trying to speak. Staying silent was not a reprieve she opted for when she came to Gail. Inhaling deeply, she gathered all her resolve. "She was a very gentle soul, you know. Always smiling and happy," her lips were involuntarily stretched at corners at the memory. "She doted on me," her lips stretched further and a derisive chuckle disrupted her flow. "I don't know why but she always pampered me; sometimes too much. Anytime we got together, somehow she would always find something or the other to compliment me about. And they were never pointless flattery, they made sense; too much sense actually." Her jaw clenched visibly. "For a few months we just slept together. Then I realized she was getting serious about me and I asked her to be my girlfriend."

Gail technically didn't want to hear it but this was not the time to give into petty jealousy. Especially of someone who didn't exist anymore. She chastised herself for being insensitive.

"She loved me, Gail," Holly pronounced with a straining voice. "Like really loved me." She suddenly turned to Gail, alarming the blonde a little. Her eyes were wide in astonishment and disbelief. "And I couldn't feel anything more," she stopped to swallow and inhaled heavily. "more than basic like and lust for her. I tried ... god knows, I tried. For two fucking years, I tried." Holly heaved as her windpipe kept stifling any effort she made to inhale. Her chin quivered in tandem with her bottom lip. Silent tears of anguish paved down her cheeks. Gail's hand came up to wipe the evidence away but she swiftly meandered away. "Don't." She mumbled and went back to glare at the couch.

Gail pulled her hand back; a little offended at being rebuffed. She smoothed out the creases in the note and kept folding, unfolding it. "Then what?"

Holly took a few moments. This was the hardest part of it all. She closed her eyes and went back in time to the night Natalie had shown up at her dorm room for the last time. "She showed up at my dorm and asked to be held. Just to be held..." her eyes were closed. The scene played out behind her lids and she was the narrator. "I sensed something strange but I was too tired to pay any special attention. We went to sleep." She paused to swallow. "Her actions were desperate and hurried as if time was running away from her ... little did I know, it actually was." She gasped for breath as her lungs were on fire. The lump in her throat kept swelling. "I remember looking into her eyes before I fell asleep. They were dreary and dull like a forest about to die." Holly's breaths became laboured and noisy. She frequently kept gulping. "She took her last breath in my arms. I was so stupid ... I literally saw the life drain out of her eyes and like a moron I went to sleep without thinking much of it." She couldn't breathe at all. Her face twisted and this time when she swallowed the bile didn't let her. She shot up suddenly and rushed to the bathroom.

Gail was shocked into an effigy upon that confession. She blinked when she heard the retching sounds. She frowned in confusion but after a second of concentration she got to her feet. She at last discarded the note on the table and went to assist Holly. She saw the brunette's head bobbing as she gagged a few times into the toilet. Gail pulled up the ponytail out of the way and made comforting circles on Holly's rigid back. "You okay?" She soothingly asked.

Holly only nodded her head and spit a few times into the vile mess. She made a disgusting sound as she pulled the lever for flush. Gail stood up and went to retrieve a bottle of water from the refrigerator.

Holly muttered thanks and washed her mouth thoroughly. For someone who dealt with horrible deaths all the time this was a new experience. She had repressed Natalie's death so far back into her conscience that this was the first time she took the complete brunt of the incident.

"Have you talked about this to anyone," Gail asked in a tone that clearly stated it was a professional she was referring to.

Holly looked up at the blonde and felt a fresh wave of tears sting her eyes. She draped her heavy lids over the orbs to free them of any barrier. She shook her head 'no'. "You are the first person I have talked to about her." She croaked out through the obstruction she still felt in her scratchy throat. Talking was too much work but she had to get it out. "I didn't understand why Natalie did what she did. My mind couldn't make sense of it. Science and logic failed me then. So, I crushed it; my need for answers. I controlled the situation to the best of my knowledge." She took a few hearty gulps of cold water and sighed.

"How did she do it?" Gail asked as she was genuinely curious.

Holly shrugged her shoulders awkwardly. "Administered herself with IV Oxycodone."

"Oh," Gail sighed as she prepared herself to ask the question she had been meaning to. "Why is that note with you and not in evidence?"

Holly scoffed. She had to give it to Gail for thinking like a police officer whenever a crime was concerned. "I found it in my things a week after..." she let the sentence trail off. "It was open and shut case; already closed. And I didn't want to live it again." Holly pushed herself off the floor. Standing before the mirror she gazed into her own chocolate eyes. They looked drowsy and drooped. Taking handful of water, she threw it sharply at her face especially targeting her fluttering eyes. It stung but the coldness doused the flames somewhat; for a few seconds. She repeated it again and again. The nerves in the white humorous surrounding her irises were very prominent which made those big eyes look bloodshot. She huffed as she washed her face one last time. When she turned to get out of the bathroom and that was when she noticed that Gail was not there. As she made her way to the sitting area the smell of coffee soothed her overloaded senses.

Gail watched Holly carefully as she waited by the coffee machine with two mugs at the ready. The brunette stood by the coffee table staring at the note she had left there just moments back. She waited for the other woman to pick it up but Holly looked the other way and breathed in deeply. The gurgling from the machine beside her forced her to break her observation.

Holly had already situated herself at the right side of the couch when the blonde offered her the coffee. "Thanks," she smiled slightly as she engulfed her olfactory receptors with the earthy aroma of freshly brewed beverage. It worked wonders. Her throat eased in anticipation and at the same time her exhaustion started to wane; knowing it won't stand a chance against the strength of caffeine.

Gail situated at the other end of the couch with her fingers comfortably wrapped around the warmth. She let the mug rest for a few seconds in front of her lips just under her nose and breathed in the vapour rising from it. It was the first relaxing breath she took in almost an hour.

The sounds of breathing plus the slow careful sips of the hot drink bounced off the walls repeatedly. No one felt the need to mollify the silence; it shipped a sense of companionship of the two people present in that moment.

"Your coffee making skills are very impressive," Holly complimented lightly when she was almost halfway finished and the drink had turned lukewarm.

Gail laughed softly and crinkled her nose. "Well, it's gotta be. This here," she held the mug up, "is my lifeline, my elixir. I am pretty sure the overconsumption of coffee has turned at least one-fourth of my blood completely black." She speculated quite seriously as she bobbed her head a few times. Holly didn't say anything. Gail's eyes observed the rolling mug between both her palms. "Can I ask you something?" She didn't lift her gaze.

Holly exhaled when the blonde said that. She had been waiting for the interrogation to start. "Yes?" She offered a short go-ahead.

"Why now?" Gail glanced at Holly's watchful eyes but went back to looking at the mug with pointless interest. "Why tell me now?"

Holly bent forward and kept the mug on the table. "Because I finally was out of ammo."

The older woman's reply was too obscure for Gail to understand. "Huh?" She mumbled as her whole face scrunched up comically in confusion.

Holly turned to face the blonde and situated her left leg on the couch. Her left hand draped over the back and right hand ran over her own jeans searching for imaginary lints to pull at. "Remember you asked me if all this was overwhelming?" She continued when Gail nodded at the question. "It's more than overwhelming. It's so thoroughly consuming and devouring," she tightened her jaw as she locked onto Gail's attentive gaze. "I literally feel my cells, my tissues being drowned into this ocean of feelings and I am unable to stop the process. I feel so powerless and out of control," the depth in her chocolate orbs increased as she tried to put words to the tempest, the upheaval she felt inside her heart. "The first month I was flying so high like I was on some sort of drug. You were my fix ... you still are and I am worse than an addict. But," she stopped and took two breaths in extension before continuing. "But last month I had this dream, I can't really call it a nightmare." She exhaled heavily through her mouth. "I and you were there but so was Natalie. And she asked me something that freaked me out." Her voice dropped a few octaves as without missing a beat she finished. _"Now do you understand?"_

Gail pursed her lips to right and chewed at the insides of the bottom one. "Understand what?"

"Her, Natalie," Holly instantly replied. "Her feelings, her emotions, her helplessness, her actions, everything."

"But why would she all of a sudden ask you something like that?"

"Because now I stand where she stood all those years ago," Holly stared hard into Gail's eyes. "Because now I am the one who is powerless to stop myself from falling for you. Because now I am the one who has all these feelings that are so fucking dominating. Because now I am the one who has all these emotions that I can't possibly dream of controlling. Because now I am the one who is helpless." Her voice got thick with every declaration. "Imagine being in such a place and knowing that the other person would not even return one percent of what you are feeling." Holly was now in the act of convincing herself. "I am not saying I agree with what Natalie did but she wanted an escape and she chose the easiest, fastest way out."

Gail blinked. It was too much to take at once. So, Holly had a screwed up past that still disturbed the brunette from time to time. Nothing new, everybody had a past. After knowing what it was, she could not really blame the older woman trying to avoid it for as long as possible. She also remembered that she was the only person Holly had talked to about Natalie. That earned the brunette major points in her book. And her heart was still beating wildly due to Holly's affirmations just then. But the freak-out thing she didn't understand. "Wait ... wait... wait... um so, let me get this straight. A month ago you say?" The brunette nodded slowly. "So, all of this last month ... that was you freaking out?" Gail growled disbelievingly.

Holly's eyebrows lifted as deep lines formed on her forehead. She clicked her tongue twice before answering in a small voice. "Yeah."

Gail glared at the brunette for a minute. "Are you fucking kidding me?"

Holly laughed embarrassingly. "I am sorry," she sputtered.

"Don't you dare laugh at me, woman," Gail pointed a finger at the other woman and narrowed her already blazing indigos. "The things we have been fighting about all this time, what about them?"

"They are just like teeny-tiny problems every relationship has," Holly reasoned with a guilty shrug of her shoulders.

"So that's how you freak out, huh?" Gail muttered in a low tone. "And I thought I was a hot-mess." She shook her head wanting to smile at the situation.

"I know I become very difficult during such times. Dad told me once," Holly softly confessed.

"Difficult?" Gail mocked. "More like obstinate and stubborn."

"Okay, yeah."

"And thick-headed and stupid and annoying and irritating," Gail went on.

"I get it," Holly agreed.

"And an A class bitch who picks up a fight for nothing."

"I said I get it, Gail," Holly interrupted. She really had been too unfair. "I am sorry for every unnecessary fight, every stupid argument we had, okay?"

Gail contemplated for few seconds in silence and then nodded her head. "Does it always take more than a month for you to get out of this ... this ..." Gail flailed her right hand in air to grapple at words, "funk?"

"No, not necessarily," Holly quietly mumbled. "If you call me out, corner me, give me no room to deflect then it gets resolved pretty quickly."

Gail smiled devilishly. "Cool," she said as her mind ran with a very interesting line of thought. She snorted. "I just figured you out. You, Doctor Holly Stewart, are a deflector."

"What do you mean?" Holly was truly amused and interested.

"You are one of those people who work their way as they go," Gail said and crossed her legs on the couch; the empty coffee mug shoved in the corner behind her. "When you walk a path, suppose there is this big rock in your way," Gail was animatedly very pressingly trying to explain her thoughts. "You are the kind of person who moves it aside and passes through, every time. Until you get tired of doing the same thing again and again and again and finally decide to push the rock completely off the path." Gail's gaze was alit with innocent glee. "Do you see what I mean?" She waggled her eyebrows.

Holly really understood what the blonde had said and the metaphor somehow was funnily too suitable. "Huh."

"Yup," Gail nodded her head. "That makes you very dangerous. Like a volcano. You simmer and simmer and suddenly one day when you reach your limit 'boom'," she made an expanding gesture with both her hands. "But the next time, you are not dragging it out; not even for a week. I will handcuff you or put you in a holding cell if I have to but I will call out your bitchiness the very first day, Holly." Gail warned a little playfully but the undertone carried the seriousness of the warning.

"Please do," Holly sincerely entreated. "Gail?"

"Hmm?"

"Why did you stay through it all?" Now that the fog had been somewhat lifted off and she could think a little bit clearly, she wondered why the blonde had put up with her meaningless drama.

Gail's eyes danced in mirth. "Would you rather I had run?" She scoffed. She inhaled languidly before she began to respond. "Truthfully, I was so focused on not screwing this up that the thought of running away never even entered my mind." She found herself a little surprised at that statement even though she knew deep within it was the truth. "And I wanted to be there, for you. You know, in case, you needed me," she twisted her lips to side and bashfully lifted one shoulder.

"And you were there when I needed you," Holly cocked her head to side and lovingly gazed at the suddenly shy blonde. "Thank you for not leaving. Really, thank you so much." She whispered her honest and deepest gratitude. "You know, it is funny though. That thought, that you might just up and leave, never crossed my mind either." She mused.

"Looks like you trusted me more than you wanted to admit," Gail teased.

"I do trust you," Holly swallowed as her brown eyes bore into Gail's blue ones. "I trust you with my life, Gail. And I trust you, absolutely, completely with my heart." Holly heaved a sigh. "I am sorry I didn't tell you sooner. I was just too wrapped up in my own guilt ... I didn't know how to tell you about all this ..." she waved a loose hand around and very briefly pointed at the note still sitting at the table. "I couldn't ask you to take the next step with me without coming to terms with how lost I felt ... still feel. Somewhat."

"Hey," Gail poked the brunette's leg with her big toe. "I am right here. I will help you ... you know, wash your mess down the drain." She smiled big as she said it. Her delight multiplied a hundred times when she saw the smile mirrored on Holly's lips. "I know how you feel, Hol."

"What do you mean?" Hol kept a small smile as she frowned.

"I know what it feels like to be the reason of someone's death," Gail inhaled sharply. She turned to grab the empty mug from behind her and stood up. As she passed the table she picked up Holly's mug too. Fingers closed around her wrist and prohibited her from moving ahead. She dropped her eyes to look into the inquisitive chocolate pools gazing up at her. "Some other day, okay?" Her voice was barely audible. She exhaled in relief when the brunette simply nodded and let her wrist free.

Holly sat on the couch pondering. When she had just transferred here, through the sour gossip grapevines she had, in passing, heard something about a detective's death. At that time, though, she hardly had any acquaintance at 15th division. She felt the cursory sadness as she too worked for law enforcement but didn't grieve much. She didn't want to presume anything but something told her that Gail's story had a connection to that incident. That day in her upstairs bathroom, Gail's quite utterance_ 'the part when Jerry died'_ as the blonde had kept her gaze drunkenly, holding on to the bunch of butchered white blonde hair, flickered through her mind momentarily. It was pretty ambiguous to presume anything substantial. She sighed and tried to let it go.

She got up and padded silently to the kitchen. Gail stood there gripping at the sink unblinkingly staring off into space. She recognized guilt when she saw it. Her heart lurched into her throat. By any means, she wanted to take away Gail's anguish. It wouldn't matter if it was transferred into her quota of sufferings but she just didn't want the younger woman to suffer. Her feet moved and before she knew she stood behind the blonde breathing her in. Holly's arms wrapped around the slender waist and she buried her face into the crook of Gail's warm neck. Her effort seemingly paid off as the other woman's head dropped back on her shoulder.

Holly lifted her head and gazed at the woman who meant the world to her. The woman who was so good at giving but never expected anything in return. Selfless and sacrificing, that was her Gail. She placed a lingering kiss where her mouth rested and turned the blonde to face her. Gail's beauty amazed her, left her astounded every time. Keeping her right hand at the younger woman's waist, she brought her left hand to gently cup Gail's face.

Classic beauty, that was what Gail possessed. The kind of beauty that never faded, that never wilted; the kind of eternal beauty that never withered away. She placed a wet kiss on the pale forehead; smiling as the short hair teased her nose. Her whole body felt comfortably warm; the soothing kind of warm, the kind that gave one mushy, fuzzy feelings and butterflies in stomach. She tilted Gail's face up a little by the chin, searched the woman's soul through those light blue conflicted eyes. She was allowed to drown a few layers deep but after that there were barriers. She backed away immediately not wanting to make Gail pull away. She respected the blonde enough to stop when told to. There was no such thing as 'the perfect moment', she concluded. Here, in this very second, she felt her soul meld with Gail's. She sensed the silent agreement that passed between them. She decided to leave everything else to fate. "I love you," the words left heated wisps of breathe over Gail's lips. She swallowed in agitation. Every second felt like the longest she had ever endured. "You don't have to smmpphh..." the rest of the sentence died as lips clashed together.

* * *

**So? Thoughts?**

**Kindly let me know. **

**Hopefully it was worth your time. **

**Thank you all. **

**Until next time.**

**P.s: Holly's theory about Jerry is based on the fact that in my head, they are yet to talk out the darkest parts of Gail's past.**

** The next update isn't guaranteed. **

**The last two chapters plus this one had to be continued to make sense, so I wrote non-stop. **

**Now, though, I gotta take a short break. These two ladies have screwed up my sense of reality.**


	7. Chapter 7

**A/N: Hello there lovelies. Hope you all are well. **

**The break did some good. **

**My elder sister came down for a visit. So, that distracted me enough. **

**Anyway, as usual. Thank You for the support. **

**Thank you for every one who is still with me on this journey.**

**Thank you for every review, every follow, and every favorite. **

**Non beta-d. So, the mistakes are solely mine as is the story. **

**Without further delay...Please proceed. **

**Enjoy!**

* * *

**Staggering Along The Way**

* * *

**A Step Ahead**

* * *

_I need to resign, submit, suppress, my inner coward,_

_Please lend me your heart, your hand; pull me forward._

_Straight into the glorious future, away from this deep, dark abyss,_

_To the feeling of completion, waiting at the threshold of pure bliss._

_(No one famous. Just mine.)_

* * *

Gail had a hunch; an intuition of sorts. She knew what was coming. Holly's liquid brown eyes so very candidly mirrored an admiration that was completely unreserved, abandoned, unadulterated, and too honest. Her breath slammed out of her lungs when those three words permeated her insides. She didn't react; couldn't react. Logically she knew she should but she just couldn't will herself to move or to say something. Time was passing her by; that moment was slinking away from her and she feared the outcome. She stared at Holly's lips which were moving again and in a desperate attempt to prevent time from turning; she kissed the older woman slaughtering the sentence midway. Her lips were eagerly insistent upon Holly's and soon the rough clash of teeth and tongues participated in their endeavour.

She felt Holly's arms close tightly around her waist and lift her off the ground. Instinctively, she wrapped her dangling legs around the older woman's midsection and ended the kiss abruptly. She pulled herself back a little to catch Holly's gaze and an effortless smile snuck upon her hot, wet lips. Moisture coated her indigo orbs and she felt light as a feather in Holly's arms. Her right palm traced the contours of the brunette's face and marvelled at its natural beauty. "Awesome timing, Hol," she teased in a low gentle tone.

Holly chuckled and shrugged her right shoulder clumsily. She pressed her cheek into Gail's palm and turning a little brushed her lips over the wrist. "What can I say? You are such an inspiration," she countered.

Gail gasped dramatically. "Dork," she scrunched up her nose. "By the way," she waited a beat to study the apprehension in Holly's brown orbs. "I love you too." She announced so very softly. A sense of pride and satisfaction threatened to overwhelm her senses when she saw the look of pure joy on Holly's face.

"Yeah?" Holly posed the tentative question with her trademark lopsided smile.

"Yup," Gail nodded seriously. "You are weird, nerdy, and a dork. What's not to love, right?" She pursed her lips and sighed.

Holly chortled and shook her head. She tilted forward and pressed a soft kiss over Gail's lips. "Say it again?" She requested bashfully.

Gail's eyes darted left and right between Holly's. The request wasn't one of uncertainty. It was the request born of wanting to hear something that would never ever reach the point of satisfaction; no matter how many times she repeated it. "I love you, Holly." Gail's tone was gentle but fierce. Her lips brushed the brunette's as she spoke. "I love you more than I ever thought was possible; more than I ever thought I could love someone, anyone," she swallowed. "I love you, Holly Stewart and you better not break my heart because I won't be able to survive it." The silent tears escaped as she closed her eyes.

"I won't," Holly inhaled sharply and whispered. She paused and began again as Gail opened those crystal blue eyes to look at her. "I can't break your heart without shattering mine first." She kissed Gail's forehead and nuzzled her nose against the blonde's. "I love you...so much," she mumbled before fitting her lips over Gail's.

Gail exhaled audibly and parted her lips in invitation. Contrary to the kiss earlier this was full of soft, sure movements. Perfect, in fact. She exhaled languidly as she let Holly's lower lip escape from between hers. Now that they had mutually confessed their love to each other she felt the invisible shackles of uncertainty and insecurity come off. She trusted Holly implicitly; with her life, with her heart, with her soul, and soon she assumed she would trust Holly with her body too. She nudged her nose over the brunette's right cheek.

Holly turned slightly in return and draped her lids close as Gail streaked a path of wet kisses from her cheek to her jaw and eventually down to her neck. A heated puff of air tumbled off her separated lips as she breathed out Gail's name.

They both suddenly jerked in surprise as a very unpleasant and irritating blaring sound echoed through the apartment. Gail groaned annoyingly. It was her alarm. She nestled her forehead in Holly's neck and cursed silently. She felt the older woman's shoulders shake with quiet laughter.

Holly sighed silently and patted Gail's back. "Go get dressed. I will whip up some breakfast," she kissed the blonde's nose.

Gail smiled as she let her legs loose from around Holly's abdomen. "I start my day with Cheerios, Holly. Although, I would really appreciate another cup of coffee," she requested seriously.

"Hmm," Holly narrowed her eyes. "Okay, I will start the coffee. You go," she pushed at the blonde's shoulder lightly. She watched Gail skip to the bedroom but looked away when without warning the blonde yanked off her sweater. She cleared her throat as she finally realized that the younger woman wasn't wearing anything underneath the ratty sweater.

Gail heard that and smirked. She picked up the towel from the pile of clothes at the chair near her bed and went to take a shower. It had been an eventful morning. She closed her eyes as she welcomed the torrent of millions of heated drops over her skin. Her thoughts drifted off to Holly and what the other woman had shared with her just hours prior. The universe was a twisted realm; she thoroughly understood that now. In the beginning she had foolishly thought that being with Holly would be too easy and simple. Certainly, Holly's personality dictated it as the brunette seemed like the kind of person who was forthcoming, fierce, independent, upstanding, and very straightforward with no room for drama. But that entirely aside, Holly too is a human being with a past like everybody. Gail felt proud of the fact that she was amongst few of the people who were privy to this particular not-so-perfect part of Holly's. It was an amazing feeling; to get to know someone on a much deeper level. She wondered what all they would discover about each other as their relationship flourished. She laughed lightly at the pure giddiness festered inside her making her heart jump every time it beat. She shook her head at herself; she was turning into a romantic sap and she didn't want to complain one bit.

Naked she stood in front of the sink to brush her teeth. She wrapped the towel clumsily around her waist and sauntered off to the closet to get dressed. She chose to go with lace as it amplified the feeling of sexiness already swimming low in her abdomen. Wine red was a fantastic colour when it came to underwear. She hurriedly applied the sunscreen cum moisturizer and pulled up the heavy uniform pants. Foregoing the black undershirt she put her shirt on and made her way to the living room while putting her wide belt through the loops in her pants.

Holly was in the middle of pouring her own coffee when the door to Gail's bedroom opened. On instinct she lifted her eyes. Gail's belt was undone and dangling at the waist. The dark blue shirt was hanging open and the wine red lace bra was completely in her view. The short white blonde hair was so immaculately messed up and wet. She swallowed as she saw Gail flick her hair every which way before finger-combing it a few times. She hissed as her distraction made her spill a little bit of the scalding coffee over her left hand finger. She jerked her left hand a few times and put her burning forefinger in her mouth.

Gail was standing by the coffee table; hands on her waist staring at Holly. When the browns met her blues she smirked openly knowing what must have happened. "Hurt yourself?" She made no effort to close her shirt. On the contrary, she pushed the shirt tails back like a coat and repositioned her hands putting her front of display more teasingly.

Holly huffed and narrowed her eyes in annoyance. "Be a tease. See if I care," she challenged and turned away to put the coffee pot back at its rightful place. The scent of freshness, green tea, apple, and remnants of coffee filtered through her olfactory sensors. It was the mixed fragrance of Gail's shampoo and moisturizer. She swivelled back to face the blonde and rested herself against the granite counter in the kitchen.

Gail stuffed her closed shirt inside her pants and put on the utility belt. She went to get the shoes from her room and came back to the sofa to put them on. She muttered a thank you to Holly who placed her breakfast and coffee on the table in front of her. Without wasting any second she picked up the bowl and started shoving spoonfuls of Cheerios and milk into her mouth. By the time Holly was back from the washroom she was done with it.

Holly washed her face and combed her hair before pulling it up into a lose pony tail. Sitting down beside Gail she too nursed her second cup of coffee. "Hey, is the stakeout thing done with?" She asked.

Gail blinked at the abrupt question but answered after a beat. "Yeah, done and over with, thank god," she grumbled exaggeratedly. "You didn't go home last night?" She inquired eyeing Holly's clothes; they were too creased and rumpled.

"Nope," Holly mumbled. "Stayed late at the office and then drove around like a maniac over-thinking things, you know." She tried to act indifferent.

Gail breathed in calmly and kept looking at the brunette. She could relate to it. She extended her right hand and tangled her fingers with Holly's left hand. "Thank you," she softly said.

Holly frowned adorably. "For what?"

Gail scoffed at the expression but turned serious in a minute. "I know it wasn't easy...deciding to talk to me about all that. So, thank you...you know, for trusting me enough." She offered a small smile.

Holly didn't say anything just squeezed the fingers in her hold and went back to sipping at her coffee. In a few minutes they were completely ready to leave.

"Hey Hol," Gail called out from her bedroom.

Holly was in the living room picking up her glasses and the jacket from the couch. She stared at the letter for a few seconds before carefully putting it in the inside pocket of her coat. "Yeah?"

"You got any plans for this weekend?" Gail asked flippantly.

"No...I don't think so. Why?"

"Now you do," the blonde pronounced and opened the front door.

Holly eyed the younger woman strangely before putting on her glasses and climbing down the stairs while Gail locked the door. After a minute into the ride Gail asked her if she was going to the office today. "I was thinking of working from home but let's see," Holly unsurely replied.

"You are not working this weekend, Hol. No work at all," Gail ordered.

Holly snorted. "I can't decide my work schedule, honey. But if it's important I can talk to my boss, okay?" She glanced at the blonde and smiled indulgently.

"Okay."

As it was too early in the morning, the ride to the station didn't take long. Holly stopped the car in front of the 15 and turned the ignition off. "Are you going to tell me what you have planned for the weekend that is so special?" She turned to look at Gail taking off the seat belt and kept one hand on the steering.

Gail unlatched the seat belt and tilted toward the brunette. "Wouldn't you like to know?"

Holly gave a blank look and huffed. "Fine. Be like that...I won't talk to my boss then."

"Come on," Gail whined.

"Then tell me," Holly contested.

"Why can't it be a surprise?"

"Do you want it to be a surprise?"

"Well, actually it can't be a surprise."

"Why not?"

"Because," Gail growled.

"Just tell me," Holly groused.

Gail exhaled noisily. She moved around a bit to put her knees on the seat and faced the other woman completely. She grabbed at Holly's collar and hauled the older woman forward. Her grin widened at the yelp that came out of the brunette. When Holly poked out her tongue to lick at the lips, her gaze dropped down to take in the action. She skimmed her lips over Holly's. "I am not waiting anymore," she breathed over Holly's lips.

Confusion danced in Holly's eyes before she caught on to what Gail was proclaiming. Her jaw clenched and she swallowed thickly. She exhaled shakily, "oh."

"Yes, oh," Gail whispered and kissed the stunned woman with all the passion she could muster in that moment. Her tongue relentlessly pushed through any barrier and prodded languidly at the roof of Holly's mouth. The brunette's eyes closed and she moaned softly. Gail then played around with her tongue before inviting the other eager one to join in. Suddenly she pulled her tongue in and nipped at Holly's lower lip. It was her turn to moan when Holly pulled the bunch of tiny hair at the nape of her neck. She snatched herself away and heaved heatedly.

"No more waiting," Holly panted. "Got it," she gulped and dove into kiss Gail again. The blonde's hold on her collar tensed causing the rough material to create a delicious friction at the back of her neck. She groaned at the sensation and greedily feasted upon the pair of lips duelling with hers. A push at her shoulder forced her to pull back in confusion. Gail's lips were far too tempting for her to stop willingly. She glanced up to lock onto the blonde's gaze.

Gail licked her lips twice. "I am sorry but I don't want our first time to be in the back seat of your car." She got that whole sentence out in one breath.

Holly cleared her throat. "Neither do I but if this goes on then I am not responsible for what happens," she provoked cheekily with a full-fledged smirk.

Gail laughed breathily and placed a soft, lingering kiss on Holly's lips. "This weekend I am all yours," she promised.

"I am glad," Holly murmured and returned the kiss as softly.

Gail brought the kiss to an end and rested their forehead together. She pushed the messed up dark locks behind Holly's ears as the back of her fingers caressed the brunette's cheeks. "I love you," she whispered as her lips ghosted over Holly's.

Holly's closed her eyes and savoured the declaration. She knew she would never get tired of hearing Gail say that. She grazed her lips against Gail's, "I love you too." They stayed that way for a few seconds; sharing air and exchanging breaths.

Gail groaned when she checked her watch. It was time for parade. She cupped Holly's face with both her hands. She kissed those lips, "I will," another kiss, "see you," another kiss, "soon." She plopped her ass down on the seat and started opening the door. "Holly," she paused with one of her legs out and gate slightly opened.

Holly's lips were pulled at ends in a huge smile that was proving hard to contain. She turned to Gail. "Yeah?"

Gail smiled widely too. "No more waiting."

Holly breathed in then out and swallowed once. She nodded. "No more waiting."

* * *

Gail had been in the seventh heaven for most of her shift that day. Nothing could reach her, nothing could bring her down; she was genuinely happy. And quite horribly for her it made her look at things a little bit innocently. Like suddenly plants and flowers became beautiful, birds chirping became a natural composition instead of an irritating cacophony; every gust of wind on her skin enlivened her nerve endings and made her feel alive. She was noticing more colours around her and she was smiling at other people. Nothing fazed her; she was so freaking high on love.

She was in the remodelled kitchen space staring off into a cup of tea when Traci came by to get a cup of coffee. The detective stood at the side and observed Gail. The blonde was seriously out of it in her own world. She was smiling down at the tea which was way too creepy for this particular rookie.

"Care to share," Traci whispered in a conspiring tone. "I could most certainly use some of that sunshine."

"I love you," Gail mumbled inattentively.

Traci stared unbelievably at the blonde before smiling widely. "Aww...Gail, I love you too." She hugged the officer tightly from side.

Gail grunted at the sudden invasion of her private space. She glared the top of Traci's head. "What the hell are you doing?" She growled.

"I am showing my love for you," Traci snickered as she released the irritated woman. She picked up a stirrer and started stirring her coffee.

"Your love?" Gail grumbled and pushed herself on the counter.

"Yup, you said I love you to me," Traci told Gail in an accusing tone.

Gail couldn't keep the smile from forming again. "Goddamn it," she cursed. "I can't stop smiling, Trace," she complained as the smile stayed in its apt place.

"And why is that," Traci enquired even though she had an inkling who was responsible for this giddy version of Gail.

Gail heaved a long satisfied sigh. "Holly loves me," she shared in soft tone. Immediately her eyes watered a little at the tenderness engulfing her heart at the remembrance of events that morning. "And I love her, Trace. More than anyone I have ever loved," she blinked harshly wishing for the moisture to stay where it was.

Trace left her coffee on the counter and came to stand in front of Gail placing both her palms comfortingly over the blonde's knees. "I am happy for you, Gail," she assented with a wide smile of her own.

Gail's eyebrows drew in for a moment. She looked at Traci and saw the genuine concern and care for her in those dark black pools. Her heart slammed shut for a second when Jerry's face flashed in her mind. She clenched her eyes close and licked her lips. "Trace?" Her voice broke a little and she breathed shakily.

Traci frowned at the sudden change in the tone. She eyed the blonde warily, "yeah?"

"Are you...um...," Gail paused. She felt a little uncomfortable. "Are you happy with Steve?"

Traci tilted her head a little. She had a slight idea where this was going but she didn't jump right into it. "Yes Gail, I am happy with Steve." She assented in a tone that left no doubt.

Gail cleared her throat harshly. "You don't ... uh...compare him to, you know, Jerry?" Her voice became weak at the last part.

Traci shook her head sadly. No matter how many times she tried to persuade Gail to let it go the blonde just didn't seem to heed to her advice. "No Gail I do not. I miss him, yes. And I will keep missing him but I do not compare Steve to Jerry. It is unfair for me and for Steve and for everybody involved." She squeezed tightly at Gail's knees.

Gail nodded absentmindedly and mumbled. "Good." She chanced a glance at Traci who was watching her intently. "I am relieved," she said with a small smile.

Traci came closer to Gail. "You don't have to feel responsible for my happiness, Gail. I have told you that before and I am telling you that now. Okay? So you better listen to me this time. You are not responsible for whatever happened," she stressed upon every word in that last sentence with an intention to pierce it through Gail's thick head.

"I know that, Traci," Gail murmured annoyingly. "But it just hits me sometimes, you know?"

"I know," Traci somewhat understood. She never claimed to understand completely how Gail felt but she definitely tried to. Their work made them sensitive to such things; such responsibilities and such actions. "You tell Holly you love her?" She changed the topic.

Gail bit the insides of her cheeks to stop from smiling stupidly. "Yeah," she breathed and ultimately gave in and smiled like a fool.

"Why don't you bring her to the penny tomorrow?" Traci suggested. "Steve will be there too and I am dying to talk to her on a more personal level. She seems amazing."

"Nope," Gail instantly answered. "We have plans." She felt fidgety and willed the blush to disappear as soon as it crawled all over her face. She avoided Traci's eyes by looking anywhere and everywhere.

Traci smirked at the slight red hue that covered Gail's features. She was glad she never had to worry about this stupid blush factor. She could openly think of naughty things and no one would ever know. "Ooohhh...that kind of plans huh?" She teased in a low tone. She smirked and added. "Can't say I have made those with Steve recently."

"Oh my god, Traci," Gail made a very disgusted face and glared at the detective. "Don't do that. Never. Ever. Do not do that." She threatened.

"Okay, okay, relax. I was just kidding. I really don't have any complaints from your brother in that department," Traci laughed out loud at the horrified expression on Gail's face.

"Traci," Gail growled dangerously low in her throat.

The detective lifted her hands up in the air to declare her defeat. "Alright, no more. Sorry," she half-heartedly apologised. Truthfully she wasn't sorry at all. She couldn't remember the last time she saw Gail this happy and she liked this look on Gail; the look of pure joy and happiness. It defined the innocent aspect of Gail's personality which was heart warming to observe. "I am happy for you." She honestly confessed.

"I am happy for me too," Gail almost giggled with giddiness. She watched Traci stare at her with apprehension. She understood instantly. She made a show of sighing in defeat and slumped. "Let it come," she mumbled.

Traci squealed slightly. Jumping forward she hugged Gail tightly vacillating them from side to side like a pendulum. She pulled away suddenly with a stern look. "Do not screw it up." She warned.

"I will try," Gail resigned to her innermost desire of not doing anything to cost her the most wonderful thing in her life. She could not risk it.

"That is all it takes," Traci hugged the blonde again gently and squeezed once before freeing the officer. She turned to her coffee which was pretty much useless. She poured it into the sink and made herself a fresh cup of brew. "So, this plan you have...should I expect any details from you?"

Gail's eyes flew wide open. "Details?"

"Yup, details. You know how it happened? Who did what? Who came how many times...stuff like that," Traci stirred her coffee and shrugged her shoulders nonchalantly.

"No," Gail vehemently shook her head and jumped back on the floor. She dumped the plastic cup of tea in the trash and glowered at Traci. "Absolutely not. No details," she put an end to it.

Traci unsuccessfully tried to pout. "Oh come on," she stated casually. "If you want I will share mine with you, Gail."

Gail made that disgusted face again and stomped out of the kitchen without looking back leaving a laughing detective behind.

* * *

**So? Thoughts? Suggestions? **

**Hopefully it was worth your time. **

**Kindly let me know through reviews. **

**Also, please wish me luck as I would be attempting to write smut for the very first time. **

**Suggestions and ideas are very welcome and I will be very grateful. **

**Next update not guaranteed. **

**Thank you all. **

**Until next time. **


	8. Chapter 8

**A/N: Hello, there. Hope you all are well. **

** Thank you for every favorite, every follow, and every review.**

**The chapter may have a few mistakes, as I haven't proofread it yet. **

**Kindly bear with me on that. **

**The characters are just being borrowed. I do own the story, though. **

**Oh, and the rating is now changed to M.**

**Without further ado, please proceed. **

**Enjoy!**

* * *

**Staggering Along The Way**

* * *

**Disrobed**

* * *

Gail's head bolted up from beneath the pillow with a swift jerk. She was absently staring around her room in confusion when the prolonged vibration from somewhere in the bed told her what woke her up. She frowned and pushed away the sheets burying her hands everywhere to grab the offending contraption. Once in her hand, she absently swiped at the screen and barked into the mouthpiece. "What?" She had gone to sleep late at night after a few drinks with her colleagues at The Penny. She remembered talking to Chris about what was going on with him that resulted to nothing but too much information about how amazingly wild and adventurous his sex life has been recently. She could have survived without having to know all those things about a guy she had once slept with.

Holly pulled away her phone and grimaced at the bark in Gail's voice. She knew she was risking it by calling the officer in the morning on an off day. "Sorry sweetie...I can call later if you want?" She kept her tone soft.

Gail pushed herself up suddenly too awake. She pulled her phone away to check the day. "Shit," she cursed. It was Saturday, past eleven in the morning. "Holly...I am sorry. I didn't set the alarm. I will be at your place in twenty minutes. Promise," Gail hurriedly explained while pulling up a small duffel from under her bed to pack a few necessities that she wanted to take with her to Holly's place.

Holly smiled. "Actually, that's what I called about," her voice carried the ambiguity fairly enough.

Gail scowled, sighed, and plopped back on the bed. "What's wrong?" She asked uninterestedly.

"I got called in," Holly informed. "But it's just a meeting about some admin bullshit. I shouldn't be long." She ended hopefully.

Gail hummed. "Why would they call you to an admin meeting? How long will it take, though?"

"I have no idea but I should be home by four at the max," Holly said. "We can have a nice late lunch at my place," she proposed.

Gail made a sound that depicted how totally not-pleased she was. "I am going to kill Chirs," she blamed him for her late night.

"What for?" Holly snickered.

"Well, last night I decided to be his friend but he returned the favour by being a complete asshole," Gail growled the insult. "I should have stayed with you last night."

"Why didn't you?" Holly questioned without thinking. After the blonde's declaration of not wanting to wait anymore she had automatically assumed that Gail would be spending the night with her at her place.

"I know you were tired, Holly. And after the night you had before last, I do not blame you. You deserved a good night's sleep," Gail explained.

Holly's heart fluttered at the thoughtfulness but she was still a little disappointed. "Honey, I sleep way better with you by my side." The teasing lilt in her tone was unintended.

"Oh really?" Gail husked. She lay back down on the bed and closed her eyes. She really, really did not want to wait anymore. "Are you sure you could just sleep with me by your side," the huskiness in her voice increasing by the second.

Holly breathed in deeply at the insinuation. "We should test that theory," she replied in a deep tone. She stood by the dining table gripping tightly to a chair with her head dipped down and eyes closed.

"We should," Gail whispered. Her right hand that was resting at her lower abdomen twitched. She pushed her tank top a little and traced her fingertips along the waistband of her shorts. "Today?"

"Yeah," Holly almost panted.

They stayed silent, absolutely quiet for minutes. The low timbre of their respective breaths through the phone elevated the tension to an unbearable degree. Someone had to relent.

Holly cleared her throat. She needed to leave if she intended on getting to the meeting in time. "I have to go," she huffed out disappointingly.

Gail sighed audibly and groaned. "Okay," she agreed. She didn't say anything else. The wheels in her brain were turning furiously.

Holly responded with a quiet 'bye' and disconnected the call. She rushed out of her apartment. The sooner this meeting is over, the sooner she would be with Gail. She attempted to bring down her breathing to normal as she drove to her work.

* * *

Gail was pacing nervously in the living area of Holly's apartment. She had never done anything like this for anyone, ever. She swiped her clammy palms over her jeans and kept up the pacing. She mentally checked off every little preparation one by one. The huge Thai lunch she had brought with her was in the fridge, Holly's preferred red wine was chilling in there too, the bunch of long-stemmed beautiful white lilies was in the vase, and scented candles were still in the bag on the kitchen counter. Holly would be home any minute now depending on the traffic. She twirled around, picked up the bag from the counter and rushed to the upstairs bathroom for a few minutes. Once done with her purpose she went back to sit restlessly on the couch and impatiently gape at the front door; wishing for it to open soon. She didn't have to wait long because within five minutes Holly walked in sporting a thoughtful scowl. She waited for the brunette to realize her presence.

Holly hadn't expected that. How is a promotion and a transfer an admin issue? She really disliked the way the higher ups and suits twisted words as per their own need and liking. She relaxed a little when she took a step inside her home. She could instantly feel the difference. It was a little spooky how precisely she always sensed Gail's presence nearby. She smiled at the blonde who was watching her carefully from the couch. "Hi."

Gail smiled and walked toward the brunette leaning by the closed door. Her hands automatically wrapped around the taller brunette's waist in a loose embrace as she kissed Holly's cheek in greeting. "How was the meeting?" The question was a formality but she wanted to ask as she had picked up on the tension on Holly's face. It had to be about the meeting.

Holly threw the keys on the cluttered table by the door. "Ugh," she pulled the blonde in for a much tighter hug. "Don't ask," she mumbled into Gail's neck and wished it to be true. She had no intention of ruining the perfection that was supposed to be this day. She deserved it. They both deserved it without having another dilemma hanging over their head. She vowed to forget about it for the coming 36 hours. "I hate office politics."

"Hmm," Gail hummed quietly, her lips grazing Holly's temple as she spoke. "Colleagues; nasty little buggers, aren't they?" She jested in an exaggerated British accent. She then kissed the brunette's forehead before pulling away a little. "Well, it's a good thing that I am here then," her declaration was accompanied with a pride smirk. She stepped back and pulled Holly with her. Without any verbal exchange she pushed at the other woman's blazer. She ignored the teasing raised eyebrow directed at her and kept up with her actions. "It's not what you think." She left the jacket on the single-seater and guided Holly to the couch. There she sat the brunette down as she herself kneeled in front. Silently and slowly she took off the boots, the socks, and folded the shirt sleeves till the elbows. She caught Holly's amused gaze. "Lunch just needs to be heated and your wine should be plenty chilled by now." She simply provided.

Holly shook her head, "just wine for now. Had a little snack in the office."

Gail was relieved. She herself had a late brunch of overly sweetened pancakes a few hours back. "Be right back," she jumped up and skipped to the kitchen only to appear in front of Holly within a minute with a single goblet of dark red wine.

"Where is your glass?" Holly took the offered wine and questioned.

Gail stopped to blink a few times. She bit the corner of her bottom lip and muttered. "I thought we could share." She didn't particularly like wine. She stood awkwardly in front of Holly, fidgeting with her idle fingers.

Holly hooked her left hand finger into the blonde's belt loops as she slumped further into the couch. Gail staggered a step ahead before straddling her thigh. A second later she requested cum demanded. "Now kiss me properly, will you?"

Gail's hands for now rested limply over Holly's waist. She leaned forward but stopped a breath away, "hi." She only relented when the older woman huffed indignantly. The domesticity of the current scenario wasn't lost on her and it scared her a bit, but in a good way. They didn't talk; voice wasn't needed for communication. Gail played with Holly's shirt and meaninglessly tugged at invisible lints while the other woman sipped the wine languidly. Minutes went by as Gail got lost in the rhythm of Holly's heart under her ear.

Holly's left hand was stroking through Gail's hair and the other one was occupied with an empty glass. "Why lilies?" She voiced her thought. She had seen the vase decorated with fresh flowers.

Gail's eyes fluttered open but she didn't lift her head from Holly's chest. "Because I hate Roses," she mumbled into the material of the shirt. She laughed quietly as the brunette's body shook slightly with laughter. She placed a few kisses just above the beating heart before sitting up straight resulting in Holly's left hand to fall on the couch. "What is the first thought that comes to your mind when you think of lilies?"

Holly's mouth remained open but no words came out. She wasn't sure about the purpose of the question. "Umm...Spathiphyllum Cochlearispathum?" From the top of her head, she suggested a random scientific name of a type of lily with doubtful frown. She remembered reading a home decor article a few days back about planting Peace Lilies for a small terrace garden.

Gail stared at Holly incredulously. "Turn off the nerd. I am trying to be romantic here." She seriously griped.

Holly sucked in her cheeks to avoid smiling and fiddled with her specs, having carelessly discarded the wine glass on the couch itself. "Why don't you educate me then?" She somehow succeeded in keeping a straight face.

"You didn't even try," Gail scrunched her face annoyingly. "Anyway," Gail shook away the disappointment fairly easily. She smiled wide, "simply plain yet sensually elegant." Holly's gawked at her blankly. Gail rolled her eyes, "just like you...you moron." This confirmed that she was making a fool out of herself. There was a reason she never tried to be romantic. She wasn't really good at it. In fact, if the brunette's expressions were to go by, she royally sucked at romance; she was staring at a big freaking zero in Romance 101 of Life Lessons!

"Don't worry," Holly snorted. "I suck at romance too," she kissed away the grim tightness of the younger woman's lips.

The taste of failure on Gail's tongue washed away a little bit on hearing that light hearted confession. She looked at Holly and kept looking; in fact, she admitted that she was staring. 'Simply plain yet sensually elegant' defined the brunette almost perfectly. There was something very natural and very cathartic about Holly, something very alive and enticingly magnetic. Maybe it was just her who thought so, who knew? She grabbed at the collar of the shirt and pulled the brunette close, "I drew a bath for you, you know." Her eyes were fixed upon her own fingers that had popped a button loose.

"Oh?" Holly grinned. "Just for me?" Her voice deeply husky. Her hands retaliated at Gail's action by playing with the hem of the blonde's sweater.

Gail swallowed when fingertips grazed her skin under the sweater, just above the waistband of her jeans. Without pause she unbuttoned the shirt as much as it allowed; some of it still tucked inside the trousers. Flawless; the first thought to flash across her mind. All her fingers splayed on both sides of Holly's neck and like an obsessed sculptor she began tracing them down; neck, triangular dip at the base of throat, collar bones, and when she reached the slightly podgy upper breast, their gaze clashed. The chocolate orbs were on the verge of melting into black.

Holly could identify the awe in Gail's gaze that thinly veiled the desire underneath. Licking her lips she pushed at the sweater and the blonde wordlessly raised her hands. It didn't matter at all where it was thrown. Then she shifted and pulled her shirt out of the trousers. Gail took care of the remaining buttons. Her shirt was now wide open and exposing her bra. The simmering inside her was manageable at this point so she risked asking first before proceeding any further. "Are you sure?"

Gail inhaled sharply through her nose as she nodded twice. "I want you, Hol," no doubt about what she desired; she exhaled the incomplete breath. Not giving herself a chance to over-analyze anything, she pushed herself into Holly for a bruising kiss.

Holly moaned and immediately used her tongue to separate the blonde's lips. She rolled her tongue around with Gail's, teasing and beckoning it to follow her lead. She relaxed her mouth and opened wide; the tip of her tongue tasting at the roof of Gail's mouth. When she started pulling back she trapped the blonde's lower lip in between her teeth; sucking them to the point of slight pain. Her hands were kneading the nakedness of Gail's back. She was pleased by what she saw. The blonde's lips were glistening with smeared saliva and they were deliciously swollen. She smirked.

Gail knew it was a challenge. She had to one up the brunette and she had the perfect idea in her mind. She jerked Holly's head back, fisting the long dark hair and trailed her tongue along the straining neck; lapping hungrily at the pulse point. She could feel the blood pumping inside Holly's veins. Her teeth dug in and she groaned when the brunette arched them both causing their straining, covered breasts to press together. She amped up her effort and relented when a strangled gurgling sound escaped out of Holly's mouth. Her grin knew no bound when she felt the tender area under her lips while trying to soothe the sting away. "There," she wickedly announced her win. Upon flicking her gaze at the assaulted patch of skin she was pleasantly satisfied to notice that it would leave a mark; her mark, her seal, her imprint.

Holly couldn't react. She was mesmerized by the bottomless lust that enraptured Gail's indigo eyes. The flecks in them had contracted almost into the background, allowing the pupils to dilate freely. Her stomach flipped and flopped and she felt the delicious wetness in between her legs. "You really want to turn this into a competition?" She hissed as she squeezed Gail's waist.

Gail licked her lips. Holly was torturously massaging her sides, reaching just beneath her breasts. A thumb sneaked its way into her bra and she had to concentrate hard so as not to gasp. "You started it," she squirmed a little when finger after finger kept sneaking under her bra. Her left hand remained tangled in Holly's hair and the right one gripped at the brunette's shoulder.

Holly didn't look for any reply as she absently threw away her glasses. Reaching back, she snapped Gail's bra open effortlessly. That was statement enough of her victory. She tilted her head and hooked both her thumb under the straps, unmoving. She leaned forward and nuzzled her nose into the warm valley between Gail's breasts. "Now up that," she husked out and kissed cum nipped her way to the pale column of neck in front of her.

Gail was momentarily disoriented. All the tension that had accumulated in her straining breasts gushed down into her lower region. Her eyes shut close as Holly ran her tongue over the exposed part of her breast. Her right hand fumbled with the hook of the brunette's bra unsuccessfully. She frowned and tried to concentrate; no use. "Damn it," she huffed.

Holly chuckled in the midst of her ministrations, resting her forehead just over the annoyed blonde's collarbone. She pulled back and slumped against the couch; not touching the blonde anymore. "You give up?" An arrogant lopsided grin took over her lips.

Gail gritted her jaw and glared at the smug brunette. "If you want to continue, you will stop with this haughtiness shit," she threatened which wasn't too effective as most of her attention was on her bra, held in its place by her limp hands hanging at her sides.

Holly narrowed her eyes; like she would allow the blonde to stop now. She shook her head. "Just tell me you concede." She shrugged, her shirt still loosely draped across her shoulders.

Gail wasn't about to be bullied into submission. "And if I don't?" She watched as Holly's dark eyes penetrated hers. She gulped.

Holly sat up straight, her face directly in front of Gail's breasts. She hooked her forefinger in front of the open bra and it started to slide down. Her eyes though didn't deviate from Gail's. "One thing you should know about me, Gail. I never lose." The bra straps were halfway down the pale upper arms. The dazed gasp out of the blonde told her that the bra was not a hindrance anymore. She let it go and it fell into her lap. Then, she glanced down. This wasn't the first time that Gail's pale shade had left Holly astonished. She wondered how easy it must be to bruise. A visible tinge of red flushed all over the breasts and neck. Unlike hers, Gail's nipples were powdered baby pink and the breasts were maybe a size smaller, lighter, perkier too but absolutely perfect. She wanted to feel them in her palms, bury her face in them, nuzzle her cheek, her nose, and her lips over the nipples. She craved their press against her own breasts and god how she wanted to taste them thoroughly with her tongue. Her hands gripped at the blonde's taut thighs. The train of her lustful thoughts derailed when Gail's almost inaudible plea reached her ears.

Gail felt utterly exposed. She had to keep reminding herself to not cross her arms across her chest. Physically her body reacted the way it should have but this effect wasn't just superficial. Holly's appreciative detailing of her body made her slightly conscious. Till date a small part of her regretted the way she had lost her virginity and she had never made a big deal about first times with her boyfriends. This, though, was a big deal; actually a huge deal. It was entirely different. She knew even before going in that this would not be just sex for her. She was prepared to offer everything to Holly; physically, mentally, and spiritually. She wasn't just baring her body. She was baring her soul, her entirety, her sole existence. She wanted to be unravelled all the way through to her core.

Holly saw the floating reserve in Gail's eyes. She gave a reassuring smile and bent down to place a few soft kisses over the blonde's galloping heart. The goose flesh tickled her lips, tempting her but she resisted. With a calming breath she pulled back to take off her shirt completely and freed her own breasts. They both were naked from waist up. She saw the small hesitant smile on Gail's lips, happy that the blonde felt a little at ease now that they were both exposed to same degree.

Words melted on Gail's tongue and she swallowed them with the copious amount of saliva ceaselessly flooding her mouth. Her eyes canvassed every curve, every bulge, every bend, and every lift of the gloriously naked upper body. The way a few long silky strands shined over Holly's left breast, the way Holly's right nipple distended upward under her watch. She subconsciously started listing off the difference in their appearances. Holly's skin was a few shades darker than hers but not completely dusky, the light brown peaked nipples were a bit bigger just like the breasts. Her right hand lifted on its own accord and she glanced at Holly for some sort of permission. The brunette simply draped the eyes shut. She swallowed nervously as she moved the hair out of her way and placed her shaking fingers over the brunette's thudding heart. She painted those fingertips downward, marvelling at the goose flesh waking up all over the perfect globes. A delicious shiver crawled up her spine when she grazed her fingertips over the areola of Holly's left breast. The light brown circle instantly disfigured with faint eruptions and the nipple hardened visibly. She cupped the breast gently, feeling the weight of it, the softness, the roundness, and the fluidity of it in her rough palm. Her gaze zeroed in on the nipple and she flicked her thumb over it, maybe a little too roughly as Holly arched and drew out a long struggling whimper. She immediately pulled her hand back, rushing out an uncertain apology. "I am sorry."

Only Holly knew how much effort it was taking for her to keep her restraints in check. Her skin was unbelievably hot all over and nothing of significance had happened yet. Experiencing this much intensity accompanied with such entrenched physical corollary was a new practice for her. It jolted her soul every single time when the younger woman touched her with intent. The slightly rough texture of Gail's palm hesitantly travelled up her sides making it impossible for her to breathe. A stray comical thought entered her mind; if the hair over her body weren't almost invisible she was sure she would look like a porcupine right now. "You said no more waiting," she growled with impatience, roughly kneading, feeling Gail's ass. She couldn't contain it in; she just had to feel the blonde against her or else she would definitely catch fire. She hurriedly unlatched her pants and stood up. The trousers hung low, courtesy to the closed zip.

Gail yelped in surprise and crossed her ankles behind Holly's back, gripping the tense shoulders. Her surprise didn't last long as their fronts clashed together, without any barriers, for the very first time. "Fuck," she cussed and buried her face into Holly's neck. It was profound; the feel of their breasts smashed in between them and their stomachs quivering in tandem. To eliminate any and every space in between their bodies, she tightened her legs around Holly's waist causing her to cuss again as the seam of her jeans pushed into her, making her realize of the wetness gathered between her legs. "Holly," she pled, for what she didn't know, into the juncture of neck and shoulder.

Holly had one and only goal in mind. She had to get them upstairs without falling or tumbling or rolling down the stairs; she had no intention of ending up at the ER. Her pants scuffed the floor as she took one stair at a time. She wasn't out of breath when she reached her bedroom which was a good sign. "Gail," she lifted her shoulder to gain the blonde's attention. Belatedly realizing that they were in the bedroom, Gail eased out and stepped back minimally. Holly unzipped her pants and stepped out of the pool it created at her feet.

Gail could only watch. This was really happening; it dawned on her and she swayed a little as Holly popped her jeans open. She let the brunette slip it off her legs slowly and relatively easily. Her mind snapped back into action when the crook of her knee collided with the bed. She tilted up a little to kiss Holly softly. "I love you," she whispered, conveying and placing her trust in Holly.

Those three words pierced through the miasma of lust clouding Holly's mind. She blinked and reacted by pressing gently into Gail. "And I love you," she whispered back earnestly before gathering the shivering form of the smaller woman in her arms. "Tell me to stop and I will," she assured Gail, somewhere in the back of her mind she feared that.

Gail's forehead rested against the brunette's. She openly gazed into the searching dark chocolate eyes. "I want this," she quietly but fiercely dictated. "I trust you and I am telling you take me anyway you want," her clear declaration pushed Holly into action and she felt air being sucked out of her lungs; the kiss was so abrupt, breathtaking.

* * *

**An earnest request:** _**So, I have a dilemma. Despite of any kinds of lack in my writing skills, I try my best to capture the sensuality of the moment. Whether I succeed or not it is up to you all to tell me. Attempting to do that makes me go into details...And I, personally, love that. Sex scenes are tricky to write. So, I am asking you guys (or anybody who bothers to answer), should I write it the way I do? That would mean details...like explicit details about everything. Or should I just be coarse, short, to-the-point, and get it over with? If you all could just spare a moment for this, I would be very grateful. Thank you for your time. Hopefully you liked the chapter.** _

**Ciao.**

**Until next time.**


	9. Chapter 9

**A/N: Hello, folks. **

**First of all, many, many thanks to everyone that reviewed on the last chapter. **

**I will definitely send you a thank you note through PM in a day or two. **

**Thank you for every follow, every favorite, every review. **

**So, here it is. I did what I do and indulged myself into details. **

**Whether it's 'good' or 'bad' or just 'meh', kindly let me know. **

**Also, this is the first time I have written something like this. Just a heads up.**

**There may be a few mistakes in the chapter. **

**I take responsibility for them and for the story too. **

**So, without further ado... proceed. (Fingers crossed) **

**Enjoy!**

* * *

**Staggering Along The Way**

* * *

**Contained Explosion**

* * *

_I am but a morsel of energy, that with a whiff you consume_

_I am but a drop of nature, that with a gulp you devour_

_I am but a speck of plain matter, that with a touch you fracture_

_I am but a part of you, today, tomorrow, forever, in every universe you scour_

_(No one famous. Just mine)_

* * *

Lust quickly became just another derivative to Holly. It didn't matter how urgent and frenzied her need to posses Gail was; she couldn't do it. Calmness and utter patience was a prerequisite here. Her thoughts stirred one by one as she hovered above Gail, balancing on her palms that were jabbed into the mattress painfully. Her hair, little by little, fell across them; her knees astride over the blonde's waist without touching. Her stubborn hair, though, refused to stay tucked behind her ears and it irked her.

Gail's head rested at the middle of the bed with Holly's hands acting as protective staffs at both sides. This was the first time she had a woman staring down at her in bed and not just any woman; it was a funny yet exhilarating thought. It struck her all over again like she had just realized it. Her bewilderment must have shown on her face.

"What are you thinking about," Holly's tone was conspiringly soft, as if she was trying to keep the sound waves from scattering around them and break the moment.

Gail tilted her head to her right and kissed along the accessible skin of Holly's left hand. She turned to look straight up. "You feel familiar yet so freaking different," she wondered in the same hushed tone like the brunette had used previously.

Holly smiled sweetly and craned down to nuzzle their noses together. "Good different?"

"Definitely," Gail assured confidently. Everything about this was different and much, much better. Her blunt nails travelled up the path of Holly's arms and made their way to the doctor's back. Holly shifted a little and she recognized the movement. The older woman always made that move before flicking the whole length of hair to one side. "Don't," she blurted sternly, pulling a face at the spontaneity of it.

"What," Holly fearfully gaped down. Panic swirled inside her making her gut coil tensely. Was this the bailing out moment?

"Your hair," Gail clarified. "Let them be," she brought her left hand to run it through them. "Feels nice...like there is a barrier... separating us from the world," her eyes were fixed upon the hair slipping deviously away from her grasp, like time. "Like nothing can touch us here...you know, feels safe," she blushed furiously in embarrassment and twisted her bottom lip in between her teeth. Holly really had a strange effect on her.

Holly's heart tottered for a few beats in relief and at the sincerity of Gail's request. She bent her hands and rested on her elbows, exhaling straight into the blonde's mouth in apprehension. There was still some space left between their bodies. Holly nudged open Gail's legs and situated herself in between. She arched further down, just enough to graze her nipples over Gail's breasts. Both their eyes draped shut and hot puffs of air escaped them silently at the same time. Her arms vibrated with the effort of keeping herself up. She gritted her jaw and at last, very strategically covered the smaller body with her slightly larger one. Her nipples directly over the blonde's, her stomach, her pelvis, her legs; everything aligned with Gail's perfectly as the static caused them both to tremble together.

Gail's nostrils flared, jaws clenched, and mouth parted for a drawn out gasp at the novelty of the feeling. Holly's rigidly peaked nipples felt wonderful digging into her breasts, the brunette's rippling abdomen caused her stomach to concave and convex in response, the broader hip bones covered her slim ones, and the most delicious of all was the tentative brush of Holly's pelvic bone in between her legs. She very tenderly pressed her palms into the doctor's shoulder blades and arched her body off the bed in genial acceptance. "Fuck, Holly," she groaned, her eyes tightly shut and she pushed her head back into the mattress.

Holly didn't breathe. She wheezed and feebly shifted, rubbing herself against Gail as she rested their foreheads together. The blonde's groan amped up both in volume and duration which in turn caused her to grunt and move a little more. "Jee...huhzus," she panted heatedly. Her lust coated eyes zeroed in onto the pale column where the nerves were amazingly visible through the almost translucent skin. She gave into the temptation and bit into the pulse point, without mercy.

Gail's eyes shot open at the pain and her blunt nails dug into the curve beside Holly's protruding shoulder blades. Her legs apparently had a mind of their own as they thrashed a little. She later locked her ankles behind Holly's thighs. Experimentally she pushed into Holly and paid the price when the brunette retaliated by roughly thrusting into her sex. Her nails scratched at Holly's back and her verbal expression was strangled by a kiss.

Holly didn't give the blonde a chance to moan. She kissed, practically devoured, Gail's lips as she kept moving to heighten the warmth flaring in between their skins. The younger woman had a fighting attitude for sure. She never submitted without a struggle. Their teeth clashed furiously as she tried to re-dominate the kiss. She distracted the blonde by bringing her tongue into the messy mix, tracing the length of Gail's lower lip. Gail relented for a few seconds and let her dictate the progression of possibly the most awry and misdirected kiss she has ever participated in. The fighter in Gail woke up again. Her tongue was being greedily sucked into the over-heated and flooding cavern of Gail's mouth. She decided to play dirty and wiggled her pelvis, brushing against the wetness between the officer's legs.

Gail gasped and frustratingly pushed her head back into the bed. She was breathing furiously fast, more like grasping for air. "Not fair," she punched Holly's back lightly and gripped the back of the brunette's neck. Her playful mood disappeared as fast as it had appeared.

Holly shifted yet again, burrowing her elbows into the bed beside Gail's head. She lovingly smiled down at Gail and fingered the short blonde hair near the thumping temples. "Well, I am on top," she wickedly stated. Gail's childish huff prompted her to shake with quiet laughter. Craning her neck, she kissed all over the blonde's face. The forehead, the pair of fluttering eyelids, the nose, the cheeks, and when she reached the chin, she lightly nipped too. Audible yet breathless little sounds continuously escaped from the woman under her. She got distracted by something. Worriedly she gazed into the lavender pools looking up at her. "Am I too heavy?" Naked and vulnerable, Gail felt surprisingly small beneath her.

Gail shook her head, swallowing once she whispered. "No," her voice rough and laden with arousal; trepidation clear as day on her face.

"What is it," Holly pleaded and kissed the blonde in reassurance.

"I just..." Gail gathered her nerves and breathed in calmingly. "I want to feel you...touch you," she shyly asked. Her right hand travelled down Holly's spine, trailing every boney projection with care. Soon she reached the dip at the base of the spine and fiddled with the elastic waistband of the brunette's panties.

Holly closed her eyes and gulped. Gail's fingers, tracing the waistline of her panties were distracting. She understood the request and was quite pleased that instead of letting her do everything, Gail wanted to explore her, touch her. Somehow it felt like a present, a gift she could offer unto the blonde. "Okay," she muttered and moved away, laying on her back beside Gail; waiting for the blonde to initiate the way to discovery.

Gail's chest expanded when she breathed openly. She turned to her right and saw that Holly was staring up at the ceiling. The gesture meant more than a thousand words of endearment. The trust, the vulnerability, the ability to give up control, it just left her speechless. She slowly sat up and distractedly scratched at her forehead deciding on what to do; how exactly to proceed. Holly's fingers on her shin distracted her and she saw the brunette nod at her once. With a renewed resolution, she parted Holly's legs and situated herself in the seiza position in between them.

From this standpoint, the view was astounding. Holly's hair fanned out in all directions on the bed like a blinding halo. Gail began her exploration with the nearest and closest body part. Holly's legs were already blanketed with goose bumps when she trailed her fingers from the calves up to the thighs. Uncertainty made her skip the pelvic area and she rested her hands on the hip bones. They were so wonderfully defined. Her thumb brushed over the mounts in mindless patterns. A wondrous smile stretched her lips when her actions caused Holly's abdomen to hollow further and ripple; like still water ripples at the drop of a leaf. A bulge formed in her throat and this time she didn't have to think before acting. She bent down and nuzzled her face into the warm hollow that was Holly's stomach. "You are so soft," she hushed against the skin and felt the hitch in the brunette's breath under her. Periodically she felt her nipples brush against the material of Holly's underwear not giving them a chance to relax, that only spurred her further. She rubbed her cheeks all over the length of the quaking dip before staring at it. A single file of tiny hair decorated the centre of the abdomen. Instinctively she flattened her tongue just below the navel and slicked an aggressive path all over it. She tasted the salt on the skin, the leftover chalkiness of what probably was Holly's moisturizer, but most of all her tongue had picked up on the particular taste of the brunette; it was earthy and stormy. She buried her nose and breathed in deeply, concentrating. The scent, she deduced, was a combination of petrichor and autumn.

Holly groaned softly at the feel of wet tongue over her scalding skin. So, Gail wasn't particularly shy when it came to following instincts. Her hands fisted the bed sheet, searching for a sense of reprieve from this sweet, sweet torture she had called upon herself. If this was the definition of discovery, she would be flooding her panties by the time Gail was finished with her.

Gail felt somewhat smug at seeing the disarrayed thin line of hair sticking to Holly's skin. She trailed the path again but this time with hot open mouthed kisses. Holly's fingers tangled into her short hair, pushing her into the abdomen. She didn't deter from her path, though. She kissed, nipped, and feasted all over the fascinating, vibrating expanse of muscle. She buried her nose into the navel and smiled before lapping up hungrily and wetting the tiny dip thoroughly with her saliva. She had definitely left a few light bruises as a promise of her return.

"Gail," Holly growled dangerously low in her throat in warning. She had half a mind to just shove the blonde away and let her fingers take over.

Gail giggled pleasingly and squeezed at Holly's hips as an apology. After all, she was the one to fan the flames of the raging inferno. "Sorry," she offered feebly as she came back up on her knees, still admiring her handiwork.

Holly huffed good-naturedly. She was genuinely happy that Gail was having fun at her expense but damn it she is a human being. A human being with feelings, desires, and sensations that were just begging to be taken care of. "No you are not," she berated the blonde. Maybe this was what they meant by 'boiling blood'. Truly, the temperature inside her was sufficient to melt her bones. She rolled her eyes at the inane thoughts. "Are you done," she asked hopefully. The blonde's eyes flashed to hers and she shuddered visibly. The unbidden depth and lust in those striking lavender pools made her regret the question. Guess not.

"Oh baby, I have just started," Gail muttered as her eyes honed in on Holly's breasts. She scrambled forward touching her thighs to the back of Holly's. Before following through her premeditated thoughts, she got distracted by the minimal amount of space left between both their pelvic bones. Just a little thrust and she would be grinding herself into Holly. She gulped at that thought but focused on her previous intention. Her upper body bent a little and she balanced herself on her right palm beside Holly's torso. Without delay she cupped the brunette's breast in her left hand, gently at first, investigating it, studying it. The bulging muscles of the breast were too fluid and squeezable. Her eyes flicked to Holly's face that was scrunched up in pain and pleasure alike. She didn't relent; her greed demanded meticulous knowledge. With the pad of her thumb she brushed at the rigid nipple and then rotated it, pressing gently.

Holly was about to die. She was sure of it. She could see the white light at the end of the tunnel! She punched the bed twice with her right hand and groaned when Gail rolled her painfully stiff nipple in between the forefinger and thumb. "Fuck, Gail," she begged, clenching her eyes shut.

Gail loved the reactions she elicited from the doctor. It was pure pleasure, watching Holly writhe under her due to her ministrations. She let the breast go and tenderly used the back of her hand plus her forearm to feel, running it all over the sensitive breast. She repeated the same thing with the other breast, shifting her arm too. When both the breasts were ripe and ready for her, she dove in. Beginning with a series of sweet, devious kisses over the valley between Holly's breasts all the way to the edges of gritted jaw. Coming back down, she targeted the right breast. Fondling the left one with her hand, she kissed the right one. The texture was soft yet rough on her wet lips. She noticed every little detail; the minute creases in the nipple, the slight serration in the areola, and the pink cherry type top of the peaked light brown nipple. As soon as the tip of her tongue tasted it, she felt her head being pushed into the breast by a very tight grip. She didn't mind and continued. She sucked gently, then roughly, and then experimentally nipped which was a mistake.

Holly couldn't take it anymore. She was going absolutely mad. She needed release and soon. She felt Gail's teeth scrape at her nipple and her hips jumped...and oh wow the relief. Her right hand snatched at the opportunity to gain the upper hand. She cupped Gail's ass and pulled the blonde into herself. Thank you...friction. Her slick panties moved against her eager pussy and the wetness spread generously. She imagined Gail must be feeling the rapture too as the officer literally bit into her breast painfully, groaning faintly.

Gail remembered the slickness in between her legs when Holly pulled her in, thrusting into her twice; forcefully. A delicious shiver ran up her spine and jolted her causing her to bite into the breast she was making love to. She moved her knees back a little and hurriedly started paying generous attention to Holly's other ignored breast. She felt the soft whimper that sounded like crying and lifted her head. Indeed, Holly's whole body had gone slack with despair and tears of frustration streaked down the temples. "Holly," she called out timidly.

Holly saw the fear in Gail's eyes and felt her stomach drop. "I am fine," she assured. "I am merely a human being, though, you know." She teased extending her left hand for Gail to take. She really understood Gail's need for exploration but it was what was happening inside her that tested her patience.

Gail threaded her fingers through Holly's and squeezed. "Did I ruin it?" She asked, choking up and pursing her lips unsurely.

Holly was once again surprised by the amount of vulnerability Gail was conveying. "No, honey, you didn't ruin it." She confirmed. "Actually, you know," she wondered with a small frown. "No one has ever taken the time like you are doing." That was because the level of honesty and depth wasn't the same in her previous relationships, she reasoned with herself.

Gail scowled distastefully at that. She shifted and straddled Holly's waist so that she could easily be just inches away from the brunette's face. She swallowed when she saw the very slight flicker of insecurity bubbling under the surface of chocolate irises. "Then they were fucking idiots," she hissed angrily. "And how could I not, huh," she fiercely whispered. "You are so stunning, Hol." It was really beyond her understanding how people could not crave to touch, to feel, to taste every patch of skin on this goddess's glorious body. "Just gorgeous," she smirked flirtatiously.

"Ever the charmer, huh, Peck?" Holly blushed a little and crinkled her nose adorably.

Gail felt the familiar pride blossoming in her heart. Something she felt every single time she made the brunette smile. She nuzzled her nose against Holly's. "I love you, Hol. Of course, I would take the time," she grazed their lips lightly.

This thing with Gail was the purest form of love she would ever experience. Holly knew that for a fact. She sniffled once and snaked her arms around the blonde's middle, merging their bodies in an intense embrace with a deep sigh. Her lips reacted softly to the brush and she gently took Gail's bottom lip in between hers. Their eyes locked gazes and drifted close.

Gail adjusted her position accordingly. She had to situate herself completely in between Holly's legs as she was now lying down on the brunette without any leverage. Her arms meandered beneath Holly's, fingers curled around the shoulders. And this time she couldn't ignore the ample wetness that had drenched the doctor's panties. A brilliant smile adorned her lips.

Holly too smiled in to the kiss, aware of the reason and released the bottom lip in exchange for the upper one. She began moving slightly, so that some sort of friction generated between their burning skins. The kiss progressed at a very satisfying pace. Their tongues were mingling and playing along amiably. Holly felt the hungry, previously unsatisfied, bottomless pit inside her groin stir out of slumber. She moaned softly as her eyes fluttered open.

Gail too opened her eyes at the same time and ended the kiss with a little nip at Holly's bottom plump lip. She kept looking into the doctor's eyes and finally the brunette nodded in permission. She then proceeded to kiss down the jaw line and paid special attention to the huge mole at Holly's left upper cheek. She didn't leave any part out. The ears, the nose, the chin, she kissed everywhere. Then later she trailed open mouthed, wet kisses along Holly's enticing neck, making sure to bite and nip enough. She absolutely loved the sounds Holly was making. After that, came the turn to bathe Holly's breasts with sweet kisses in apology for earlier abandonment. She showered them with love and care and also counted every prominent rib with her slithery tongue. This time around she spent less time on the stomach, it was pampered enough earlier. Her hands were back to resting at the highly defined hip bones but it wasn't the last stop this time around. She sneaked her thumbs into the elastic band of Holly's panties and glanced up.

Holly couldn't do anything but writhe, moan, groan, whimper, and beg as Gail kissed down her body. Her hands were bunching up the bed sheet. She felt the movement come to a stop. With lidded eyes she saw the blonde looking up at her for agreement. She nodded. "Yes," she whimpered.

Gail's heart was thudding so hard that her ribs rattled. Or maybe it was her shaking all over. She licked her lips and gulped noisily. Very slowly and tentatively she backed away on her knees and pulled at Holly's underwear. Her shaky exhale turned into a strangled whimper as the patch of neatly trimmed jet black hair peeked out. With resolve she further pulled at the final barrier a little more, bringing it up to the bent knees before rolling it away so that the brunette could easily discard it.

Holly first eased out her right ankle and then jerked her left leg to throw away the panties. Now she was completely naked; literally and metaphorically. She had a strange urge to cup herself, preventing Gail from seeing her. She dug her hands into the mattress and shuffled a little higher, reaching just below the pillows. She blinked when there was no movement from Gail. Upon checking, she found the blonde savagely gazing at her sex. Her groin flipped and flopped embarrassingly and she started closing her thighs.

"Don't," Gail instructed brusquely. Her hands grabbed the knees and pushed them apart. "It's beautiful," she whispered in wonder.

Holly made a sound between a moan and a whine as her hips pushed up in the air. Gail's gaze was riveting and it rejuvenated the built up hunger inside her.

Breathing in deeply, Gail caught the distinguishing scent of Holly's arousal. Her mouth watered. Bending down slightly, Gail kissed at Holly's right knee and went up to the thigh. Holly's other thigh quivered under her touch so she replicated the action. Technically she knew what she wanted but that didn't quell the nerves. Her thumbs stroked the creases where Holly's legs met the torso. The sight was captivating, mesmerising. Under the patch of dark hair, Holly's sex glistened with the proof of the brunette's desire for her. Gail licked her lips longingly and finally dared her right hand to move. She scratched her blunt nails over the scrap of trimmed hair only to blink furiously as Holly's hips vibrated and bucked in thin air. She pressed her left hand into the doctor's abdomen.

The more time Gail took, the more volatile Holly felt inside. Her hands were above her head gripping the life out of a poor pillow. "Gail," she ground out through gritted teeth.

Gail pushed Holly's thighs further apart. The brunette's drenched sex fluttered open. Diffidently, she brought her forefinger and ran it languidly through the wetness. "Unghh," she groaned and swayed slightly. Her left hand went back to seize Holly's right thigh.

"Fuuaahh gya," Holly garbled incomprehensively, pushing her head into the bed.

A simple reverential touch and she was a goner. With no hesitation, she repeated her action but this time with two fingers and utterly slowly; feeling each and every thing along the way. It felt so amazingly smooth against her fingers and the slippery slickness only enhanced the sensation. "You are so fucking wet, Hol," she breathed out, continuing.

Holly was in no condition to reply. The bottomless pit inside her wasn't just that anymore. It had morphed into an active black hole preparing to suck everything in its way. She could only moan breathlessly.

Gail watched her fingers part Holly's shimmering, glazing, pink folds. She stopped at the opening to just circle it once and travelled down to the perineum, only to journey back up ever so slowly. She swallowed before turning her hand and caressing the parted labia with the back of her fingers; the wetness gathering abundantly on them. As she carried out her discovery, her own sex clenched and throbbed with need.

Gail then brought her soaked fingers to scrape over the neat area of dark hair. She stilled there with a purpose. With her thumb she stretched the loose skin that formed the protective hood over Holly's clitoris. The tremors and shivers of that red angry bundle of nerves were just too evident. She couldn't stay upright anymore. She bent down and rested her forehead above Holly's pelvic bone and her hot breaths fell directly over the unprotected clitoris making it quiver, thump even more furiously.

Holly had no idea what Gail intended to do. She tangled her left hand fingers through the platinum blonde locks that were in reach now. "Gail, please...just do something," she begged desperately.

Gail nodded imperceptibly and circled Holly's opening once. Twice; before burying her forefinger in a little, just till the first knuckle. The muscle around it was soggy and soft and so very welcoming. She pushed further in without any resistance and groaned deeply. Oh...the feeling, the sensation was monumental. There was nothing that could top this; the acceptance, the warmth, the love, everything that Holly made her feel had led her to this moment and it was immense, simply colossal. Her throat closed and water gathered under her eyelids. She couldn't imagine a connection, a bond much greater than this. Gulping audibly, she moved around gently inside Holly. Curling up she felt the ridged, puffy mass that made the brunette buck her hips again and again. She pulled out and entered Holly with two digits. The moisture was abundant enough to provide comfortable lubrication. Her thumb was still keeping the clitoris disrobed. Experimentally, she propelled slowly trying to create a momentum. Holly's body language definitely agreed with her strategy.

Holly's body writhed and quaked in every human way possible. She held on to Gail's hair for the life of her; everything around her scattered into the background. She literally felt the black hole swirling inside her, almost ready. "God, yes," she grunted and rotated her hips rhythmically, sensually.

Gail increased the tempo as she let Holly's clit duck back inside the protection. She then rested, merely rested, the pad of her thumb over the flimsy skin and felt the clit pulsating violently. She grunted faintly and started pulling out completely before thrusting back in more forcefully. Holly's insides started contracting and Gail pressed her thumb into the clit.

"Oh...fuck," Holly suddenly screamed and unknowingly tried to push Gail's face a little down; her back now a perfect arch and her head indenting into the mattress. She knew logically that an orgasm was only the body's expression of release but hers impending liberation felt like a perfectly contained explosion ready to implode.

Gail slowed down her thrusts and momentarily concentrated on the clitoris. Being a woman she knew very well that dual stimulation successfully increased the chance of an orgasm and intensified it to a much greater degree. Her thumb again pulled up the hood, baring the poor quivering red bud. She licked her lips before placing a few gentle kisses over the sensitive nub and blowing over it to heighten the commotion. She didn't pettily bother with the thought of tasting Holly for the first time. It felt utterly natural and symbolic of her love for Holly. She got the desired result. Her fingers were being beckoned back into action but before she began to thrust again, she languidly ran her tongue through Holly's sex all the way up to the clit.

"Gail... I... uh...," Holly whimpered incongruously and moved her legs a bit, curling and uncurling her toes in anticipation.

Gail sucked at the brunette's clitoris through the hood once and began thrusting wildly, ready to take this all the way to finish line. She grunted and kept up the onslaught. When there was enough resistance, she curled her fingers in every backstroke; fondling the ridged muscle on the upper wall.

"Oh...god, yes..." Holly panted. Breathing wasn't more important than what was happening. "Fuck...yes, Gail," she chanted nonstop, rotating her hips shamelessly, uncontrollably, and for a proper leverage she pushed both her arms above her head to clutch at the pillow.

It took double the effort now behind every push. Gail was panting, her shoulders burned, her knees stung, and her fingers felt almost numb due to the tight muscles sucking around them. She extended her thumb and circled around the clitoris a few times. She slowed down during the next backstroke to caress the ribbed muscle with her blunt finger nails and at the same time pressed the pad of her thumb into the clit. Finally, it happened.

Everything ceased to exist around Holly for a second. It was probably the longest second of her life till date. Her heart she swore stopped functioning, her blood froze in her veins, her muscles tensed mid-spasm, and she felt like she was suspended in air. The black hole inside her became the hollow plane within which the contained explosion took place; nothing got out of its gravitational pull. And just like a perfectly carried out contained explosion, the reaction between the matters kept happening again and again till there was enough energy left in her system.

Gail kept up the slow, gentle thrusts and lifted herself up a little to look at Holly's taut body. In a single flick up and down, she took in everything; the powerful arms squeezing the life of that unlucky pillow, the fanned out hair messed up wildly, the straining neck with visible veins, the breasts pushed up in the air heaving furiously, the ribs prominently defined against the skin, the stomach sucked into a proper concave, and the legs still, unmoving as wood. The rawness, the nakedness, the purity, the beauty, the solace, and the absolute loss of control that composed such an acute picture of Holly just sliced through her and left her gasping for air, thoroughly winded. Words seemed pale and incapable of defining what she felt. Her heart was heavy with gratitude yet light as a floating cotton speck because of all the love. Her life, her world, her universe was right in front of her and she didn't need anything at all; metaphorically, she added jesting at herself.

Holly came down of the high and dropped down on the bed with a tired, worn out grunt. It seemed she was cognizant enough to realize that she had lost her voice at the peak of the finale but still her throat felt rough from the inside and it hurt a little to swallow. She registered that she had yet to gain proper function of her mind as the blonde's fingers slipped out of her, making her exhale the full breath she had just sucked in.

Gail's throat was tense, itchy due to the huge lump bobbing up and down inside and she blinked furiously to rid away her tears. She silently submitted herself and laid her head over Holly's chest; a soft sob did escape her without notice when she heard the heart - that was now forever tethered to hers - beat steadily under her ear. "Thank you," she whispered her gratitude and closed her eyes, letting tears quietly fall.

After having what she supposed was the most intense experience of her life, it was technically impossible to not have leaky eyes. Holly wrapped her arms around Gail and revelled in the aftermath of the incredible chaos. She felt a little insensitive and selfish as she had paid no attention to Gail's need but, in a way, surrendering herself was what the younger woman had needed. Still, she should have at least tried, she thought. She allowed the blonde to shed those tears and did her best to provide Gail as much comfort as she could in this moment.

Nobody moved or said a word. Tranquillity was the chief guest at this ceremony of silent celebration. Ten minutes went by...fifteen...then at exactly the twenty-third minute – a few seconds plus or minus – Holly voiced her most important concern of the night. "You are so not exploring my back tonight," she muttered in a very blasé undertone.

Gail frowned and blinked open her eyes. All of a sudden she cackled and laughed out loudly; sniffling a few times. As her body shook with laughter, she managed to splutter an equally nonchalant response, "we'll see, babe."

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**So? Thoughts? **

**Apologies for the mistakes. **

**Hopefully it was worth your time. **

**Kindly let me know your thoughts. **

**Until next time. **

**Ciao.**


	10. Chapter 10

**A/N: Hello, my lovelies! **

**I can't tell you how relieved I was that my last chapter didn't turn out to be a complete disaster. **

**So, here is the continuation. Hopefully you will like this. **

**Thank you for every follow, every favorite, every review. **

**I tried to reply to every person who reviewed on my story via PM. **

**And guest reviewers, please accept my appreciation here as there is no other way to thank you all. **

**I really am too grateful to everybody. **

**There might be a few mistakes here and there. **

**Totally my doing as is the story. **

**Anyway, without any delay...please, proceed. **

**Enjoy!**

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**Staggering Along The Way**

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**You Are It For Me**

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Gail was lying on her stomach; head partially buried under a pillow, hands spread like wings on her sides, groaning lazily. It couldn't be classified as groaning, more like making a constant sound inside her throat. Akin to humming but a little raspy, the rumble of her voice was a bit muffled. Her whole body felt extremely charged. Not charged as in energetic and bouncy; charged as in overly sensitive, raw, and jumpy. Every muscle, every nerve ending, every tissue, every cell in her system buzzed, rippled faintly and ceaselessly.

Holly padded into the bedroom; a brilliant smile almost immediately attacked her lips and she sucked in her next breath through her mouth instead of her nose. The view of Gail laying there, on her rumpled bed, buck naked; oh it was so scenic that it was extremely unfair. The constant need of physical, skin to skin connection with Gail, flared inside her gut instantly. She gripped the water bottle in her right hand and swallowed before clearing her throat lightly. "Nice view there, officer," she teased in a low husky tone. Her voice, it appeared, had changed in the last few hours. Maybe her continuous cheering during their activities was a reason but eh, who cared? She sounded much sexier in this voice; just the right amount of sultriness.

Gail stopped making that sound and wiggled her head a few times to move away the pillow but remained in a somewhat similar position. "Where did you go?" She asked but didn't bother opening her eyes. Her query got half lost into the mattress of the bed.

Holly took a step ahead and stopped at the end of her queen sized bed, running her eyes from the blonde's toe, to the shapely calves, the slightly parted thighs, and the twin flawless globes of Gail's ass. She exhaled and her nostrils flared. "To get water," she absently lifted the bottle in the air and added, her eyes refusing to move away from the ass. "Needed sustenance."

Gail caught the lilt in Holly's voice. She peeled open her eyes, tilted her head a little on the bed and peered down at the brunette. The standing woman was clad in sheets with wild, untamed hair flowing down the shoulders; openly salivating over her gluteus maximus. She bit the inside of her cheek; she should not have known that. Holly's nerd was rubbing off on her, apparently in more ways than one. "You are so ladylike that it's almost disgusting," she mumbled, vexed by the fact that the doctor was not fully naked like her.

Holly blinked and the visual examination of Gail's well-formed derriere unfortunately ended. Her dark bronze eyes met the blonde's cobalt; they were dancing in mirth. She cinched half her bottom lip in between her teeth and smiled, causing her lip to glide out slowly and sensually. She placed the useless bottle on the bed somewhere near Gail's leg and tugged the sheet away from her body, letting it teasingly slide down on to the floor. "Is this ladylike?" her left eyebrow hiked up in challenge.

Gail's opened eyes didn't stay that way for long as Holly bent down, kneeling at the edge of the bed, to kiss her right foot. She made that humming sound again and it morphed into a moan before rolling out of her lips. Her hands that were spread at her sides, clutched at both ends of the previously discarded pillow. She buried her face in the dark space formed in between her right upper arm and the bed. Holly's silky hair brushed against her skin above the foot and she felt the familiar, intimate flame flicker to life in her lower abdomen.

Holly laved her tongue from Gail's right heel up to the calf, enjoying the way the muscles tensed and relaxed repeatedly. She again took the previous path but this time with her lips. She flicked her hair to one side and changed her position to pay the same attention to the blonde's left leg. A minute later, upon reaching the right thigh, she decided to introduce her teeth into the mix for more fun.

Gail reacted as evenly as she could. The buzzing inside her was increasing sluggishly as Holly paved a dewy trail up her legs unhurriedly. The flames inside her steadily achieved height as she welcomed the return of dampness in between her legs. Suddenly she felt teeth dig in to her thigh and groaning loudly, she burrowed her face impossibly further into the mattress, "unnnggghh...Hol." She hissed when a moment or two later she felt the same sensation on her other thigh but this time it was a proper bite. Groaning, she gritted her jaw tightly in knowledge that this was not going to be slow and tender.

Holly's hands kept busy running the length of Gail's smooth legs; as far as she could reach without compromising her current activity. Her palms stopped on the thighs when her face reached the derriere she was formerly just drooling upon. She smiled and proceeded to cup that pair of perfection in both her hands; squeezing them hard and trying to cover every square inch of that out-curved muscle, baby soft skin with open mouthed kisses. Heading up, she grazed her nose and lips over the tiny basin formed at the small of Gail's back. She didn't have much of patience left in her; so instead of asking the woman below her to turn over, she thought of trying out a position that could grant them mutual release.

In the last few hours, Gail had become familiar with two or three sexual positions; all of which made sense to her and worked well for both of them. But this time, she couldn't imagine what kind of arrangement Holly was thinking of. She sure was not in the mood of turning over on her back so they could fuck properly; the good ol' missionary way! She was feeling extremely lethargic and it was too much work.

Holly lifted her head and languidly perused Gail's pale back. There were light red streaks and scratches all over. Her hands left the blonde's ass and rested on the bed. She shuffled ahead and kissed a few of those marks, "do they hurt?" She asked softly, nuzzling her cheeks over the curve of Gail's spine before tracing one vertebra at a time with her tongue. Her nipples brushed over Gail's ass; at first without her knowledge but then she started slightly shifting up and down so that her breasts rubbed deliciously against the soft buttocks. She sighed and moaned and kept lapping, kissing up the spine.

Panting and moaning, Gail clutched at the pillow fiercely when she felt the brunette's erect nipples scraping all over her ass. "No," she belatedly answered the question. They didn't hurt at all. In fact, every time anything brushed over them, she was reminded of Holly writhing and bucking under her. So, no. They didn't hurt one bit. Her nipples found reprieve in the friction caused against the bed sheet with every small movement.

Holly exhaled and traced the blonde's shoulder blades with her tongue before reaching the nape of Gail's neck. Tiny white-blonde hair tickled her forehead and nose as she kept up the journey. She kissed behind the officer's right ear, "spread your legs for me." She ordered.

Gail parted her legs and felt both of Holly's knees pushing at hers. Soon, her legs were bent and spread eagle with the brunette's knees placed exactly behind hers, mirroring her stance. She was shamelessly open and the unkempt little folds of bed sheet under her brushed against her wet sex. She moved and bowed her back, pushing against the bed. "Whatever you are trying to do, just fucking do it," she growled and set her jaw tightly as she still wasn't sure what position this would incur.

Holly laughed breathily at the blonde's impatience. She freed Gail's left hand from the pillow and threaded their fingers together, squeezing hard in assurance. Her mouth was exactly beside Gail's right ear, her breasts smashed deliciously against the hard arch of shoulder blades; there was only one thing left to do. "Just wait for it," she hotly rasped, whispered, reaching between them with her right hand to spread open herself completely with two fingers. With her tongue poking at her upper lip in concentration, she settled her lower body against Gail in a very calculated, thought out position. "Oh...fuck yes," she groaned satisfactorily, biting into the shell of Gail's ear as her wetness oh so sinfully descended upon the out-curved soft muscle of the blonde's ass.

Gail gasped at the feeling of abundantly drenched sex slide against her butt. "Wow," she muttered in surprise. This wasn't something that crossed her mind. She pushed her ass up into Holly and moaned loudly when the brunette bit into her neck.

Holly freed her right hand, thrusting herself into Gail's perfect ass; her spread knees providing her with more than enough leverage. Every single thrust caused the blonde's hard back curve further into her own soft front. She snaked her right hand in between Gail and the bed and easily reached her target. She exhaled and wheezed when her long fingers found the blonde's copiously soaked sex. "You like this," she lapped Gail's ear with her tongue and inquired teasingly.

Gail buried her forehead further into the mattress and nodded vigorously as Holly roughly circled her clitoris. Her right forearm was pressed into the bed beside her head so that she could keep her upper body arched. The flames inside her had reached their limit and were now engulfing her chest and heart. She just had to feel Holly inside her. "Just fuck me, Hol," she growled vehemently and impatiently.

Holly groaned at such unbarred display of need and her restraint unbolted immediately. She grunted in the next thrust and groaned as two of her fingers easily slipped inside Gail. She didn't stop to adjust and kept thrusting. It was too dizzying an accomplishment; her fingers sliding in and out of Gail as her own sex glided against the blonde's ass at the same time. "God yesss...baby, you feel so fucking good," she panted into Gail's ear.

Gail couldn't agree more as her clit rubbed over Holly's stretched palm upon every movement. "Fuck...yeaah...unnggh god," she moaned and groaned as they gained perfect momentum with every push. Their left hand fingers were tangled so desperately, so tightly together that it almost denied the blood flow, turning them white and pale. Every sound that Holly made fell directly over her burning ear, fanning the fire inside her chest making her heart beat overtime and impossibly fast. And the feeling of Holly's thudding heart just above hers, through her back, amplified the sensation.

Holly buried her face into the blonde's neck as she kept grinding herself into Gail. She kissed and licked and nipped when she could and bit when an extra strong shove provided just the right amount of friction over her clit. A thin film of sweat intensified the static energy between their heated skins. Her knees and thighs burned due to all the force it took for her to keep undulating in this position. She couldn't hold back her release anymore. "Ga..ehh...Gail," she managed, gasping for breath. She was tiring out fast.

Gail heaved and nodded in understanding; having sensed the exertion overtaking the brunette. She lifted herself up a little, trying to share the effort behind every thrust. It wasn't easy because that caused Holly to completely slump over her back. Soon, their movements became erratic and disorderly. Their grunts got louder and louder and their breaths shorter and shorter with every second. "Almost." She exhaled; her voice rough and hoarse. She swallowed thickly, gritting her jaw painfully.

Holly nodded her agreement into Gail's neck and moaned when she felt the blonde's walls clutching at her fingers, making it difficult for her to do anything. She reduced the length of her strokes and increased the force behind them. The tip of her fingers prodded at the ribbed muscle on Gail's upper wall in every shove. She clenched her eyes shut when her own sex fluttered and throbbed against the blonde's ass. "Fuuhh...I'm...unngggh...there," she grunted.

"Come with me, Hol," Gail too grunted in response and begged. Her body was so unbelievably hypersensitive that she felt every flutter of Holly's sex on her skin and the frequency at which the brunette's clitoris was pulsating, she knew they were going to be washed over with release any second now. Holly garbled something incomprehensive into the crook of her neck and bit into her. She hissed in pain and in the same moment felt the extreme contraction of her insides.

Holly exhaled heavily through her nostrils as she latched onto the accessible skin on Gail's neck. They stilled mid-thrust and she felt the blonde's spasms against the full length of her own body. Her insides contributed in creating a vacuum that sucked in all her left over energy as her heart sped up dangerously and lodged in her throat, robbing her of her voice and breath alike. Her eyes burned and suddenly she felt like she was burdened with an unbearable weight over her worn out shoulders.

Gail felt the flames rush through her veins to all her extremities, shutting off her brain momentarily as she shouted her release into the mattress, muffling it before it could become a shrilling scream. Complimentary silent tears of an intense orgasm accumulated under her draped lids and she gasped tiredly for breath. Embers of after-effect oscillated between them and echoed through their insides for long intervals. Finally, Gail felt Holly's sex relax against her skin and she herself could only moan softly when the brunette slipped out of her.

Holly repeatedly, softly kissed at the patch of skin she had just released and groaned, carelessly collapsing over the small blonde completely. There was no sound in the air around them except for their respective attempts to breathe. She swallowed dryly, too tired to clear her throat. Wordlessly, Gail shifted on left side causing her to move and embrace the blonde from behind. Their legs straightened out full length but were still weaved together. As the minutes passed them by, they gave into the sweet exhaustion and drifted into slumberland.

* * *

They were lounging on the bed in a very unusual position after yet another round of mind-blowing sex; at least according to Gail. She was lying on her back, perpendicular to the brunette so that her head rested on Holly's left thigh. The doctor's other leg passed over her midsection, just below her breasts. She stared up at the ceiling while tracing mindless patterns on the brunette's leg. "Oh...kay," she unwillingly broke the silence. "So, I have a question that I think you, being the experienced lesbian, should answer."

Holly's lips curled at the corner. She curbed the urge to roll her eyes at the blonde's ambiguity. She indulged. "Fine," she purposely drawled. "Shoot."

Gail flicked her eyes to the brunette. Holly hadn't even bothered opening those beautiful brown eyes. She bit her bottom lip, "when do we exactly stop, Holly?" Her tone was meek, bashful, and unsure.

Holly frowned as her eyes fluttered open. It took her a second to understand the insinuation in Gail's question. The incredulity in the blonde's tone made her laugh heartily. "Oh...my dear, dear Gail," she teased. "The beauty of being with a woman...you don't have to stop unless you want to." She flashed her perfect teeth and wiggled her eyebrows when Gail finally looked at her.

Gail pouted. After a beat she said, "I am thirsty." To which she only got a low hum in response, nothing else. She blinked and scowled. "And I am tired." Again no interest but a single hum. She ground her teeth at being ignored. "And I just hit early menopause...my vagina is extremely dry."

Holly chuckled and finally spared the pouting blonde a look. She licked her lips exaggeratedly and raised an eyebrow. "Is that a challenge?" She knowingly turned her voice deep, working the base of her throat.

"Seriously?" Gail growled and punched at Holly's thigh playfully. "But I am hungry," she whined.

Holly smirked. She pulled away the leg that was resting on Gail's stomach and bent it at the knee. With both her hands, she gestured at herself – to the V in between her legs - like presenting a platter of gourmet food to the blonde. Her whole body shook as she laughed out loud at the stricken expression that took over the speechless blonde.

Gail huffed and got up from her position, scrambling on all her fours to lie down on her stomach, knowingly facing away from Holly. Suddenly she felt like crying she was so fucking famished and weak. And dare the doctor make fun of her.

"Gail," Holly called out softly.

"I am not talking to you, you savage beast," Gail replied.

Holly laughed lightly, inaudibly. She breathed in and out to compose herself. "What is it that you want me to do?"

"I want you to take care of me," Gail snapped, turning back to look at Holly.

"I thought I just did. Not once...not twice, but all night long," Holly declared haughtily.

Gail turned on her back, growled, and thrashed her limbs petulantly like a stubborn kid. "I am hungry," she declared yet again.

Holly narrowed her eyes. "Then get up...go...eat, I am not stopping you."

"You go bring food and water," Gail commanded.

"I fetched every bottle of water while you only ever got up to take bathroom breaks." Holly's thumb was pointing behind her on the floor where a pile of empty bottles lay discarded. "It's your turn."

"It's not my fault that orgasms over-stimulate my bladder, Holly," Gail quipped. Her whole body deflated the next moment though. "And I don't wanna get up." Her voice shook and she blinked furiously.

Holly saw the change in the blonde's demeanour. "Why?" she simply asked.

"I ache all over," Gail kind of accused Holly and couldn't stop a soft sob from escaping her. She really had no idea why she was crying and being an ass. She turned away from Holly and curled herself into a ball.

"Honey," Holly came behind the blonde and kissed the shoulder. "Hey...sweetie, why are you crying?"

"I am not crying," Gail turned on her back to look at Holly. Her eyes were in fact glimmering; she swallowed guiltily at seeing genuine concern in the soft brown orbs. "I am just so hungry and tired and ache-y." She pulled away her gaze shamefully.

Holly smiled down sweetly at the adorable, impossible creature that was her girlfriend. "Apparently lack of food makes you grumpy, too." She growled playfully, twisting her face and kissed Gail's forehead. Her knuckles caressed the officer's left cheek as she suggested. "Tell you what...I will go down, bring up that Thai lunch from yesterday, feed you, and then we can have a long, relaxing, warm bath. What say?"

Gail smiled with her tongue in between her teeth and crinkled her nose. She craned her neck up to place a kiss at Holly's lips. "I love you," she happily announced.

"Yeah, yeah...don't think I will let you emotionally blackmail me again just because I love you," Holly answered in a soft tone. She exhaled as she softly kissed the blonde once before getting up and leaving the bed for good.

* * *

Holly found the bed empty when she came back after taking care of their dishes and some other messes they had made in last long hours. She frowned. "Gail?" She called out.

"In here," came the response from the bathroom. They had again lazed around for another half hour after eating. A part of Gail was very disturbed to realize how unimportant an entity time became to her when she was with Holly. They had been cooped up in that bed for almost twenty long hours and she had not paid any attention. Granted, a few of those hours were spend napping and talking too but wasn't it really a matter of concern that they were actually capable of having so much sex? She shuddered and gulped at the remembrance of a few very...carnal and wanton moments.

Holly made her way to the washroom wondering what was happening. She stepped inside to find the blonde filling up the tub with warm water; four or five red scented candles were lit around the tub. A soothing orange hue produced flickering shadows on the walls. She leaned against the door sill and crossed her hands over the half open shirt, just watching. The flowers earlier, the attention, this gesture, everything made her feel incredibly valued and very special but the meaningfulness of all these little tokens of love and care just skyrocketed because it came from Gail. Her Gail. Her cute, sweet, thoughtful, quirky Gail. She inhaled deeply and picked up the calming smell of fresh apples, vanilla, and maple with a dash of cinnamon. Her throat constricted as she tried to swallow.

Gail stared at Holly. "Hol?"

Holly blinked and looked at the blonde. "Hmm?"

Gail extended her right hand. "Come here."

Holly did. The younger woman stood before her and took her shirt off before pulling down her panties. "You really aren't that tired after all, huh?" She joked, narrowing her eyes in a slit.

Gail scoffed and kissed Holly. "Well, you did tolerate my tantrum and fed me. So, now that I feel sexually sated and completely full," she patted her stomach twice, pleased, "I thought I should do something nice for you."

Holly wrapped her arms around Gail's waist and pulled the blonde in a loose embrace, swaying slightly. "You didn't have to." She whispered, humming very softly as they moved side to side.

Gail rested her head on Holly's shoulder. Closing her eyes, she exhaled. "Yes, I had to," the feeling of their naked skins together still felt novel to her, untainted and almost purely virgin.

Gail wasn't the type to go out of her way for just anyone, Holly knew that. She stumbled a little when it suddenly dawned on her just how special Gail must have wanted their first time to be. "You really wanted this to be special, didn't you?" She asked softly. The bulge inside her throat oscillated making it difficult task for her to speak. Gail only hummed in reply. She licked her lips. "Was it?" She couldn't keep her voice from wavering.

Gail stilled their swaying and pulled back to gaze at Holly. She shook her head at the brunette, always thinking of others. "It was much, much more than that, Holly." She hissed passionately with her eyes wide. "Don't you dare doubt it." Pushing herself on her tip toes, she pulled the brunette into a fiery kiss. They both moaned into it; hot whiffs of air escaped their slightly squished nostrils. Much to Holly's displeasure, she ended the kiss. "Now get in to that tub before the water gets cold," she shoved gently at Holly's shoulder.

"Okay, okay," Holly turned and slowly dipped her right leg, then her left into the foamy water. "Aren't you going to join me?" She asked as she carefully situated herself down, adjusting her back against the slippery porcelain. She groaned; the warmth engulfing her aching, tired muscles instantly began to draw the pain out of her pores.

Gail stayed silent trying to collect her thoughts. She kneeled beside the tub crossing her arms over the rim. She tilted and kissed the brunette's temple. "In a minute," her tone was low and so very gentle. She kept staring at Holly; the most wonderful and the most beautiful and no doubt the most amazing person in her life. Holly was it for her. It struck her like a sledgehammer how lucky she must be to have such a stunning, fascinating, and marvellous person by her side.

Holly let the blonde be for a few seconds. The police officer was definitely thinking about something serious. "Honey, what is it?" She ruffled with the tuft of hair over the blonde's forehead.

Gail stayed silent, trying to collect her thoughts. The overwhelming sensation of her feelings for Holly started permeating her heart. She swallowed once and blinked and gritted her jaw.

Holly gave her time, holding her breath.

"When I met you Hol," Gail's tone, a very low in timbre. "I wasn't in a very good place. I was angry at everything and everybody." She paused to inhale deeply. "At the constant victimization that I was so unfairly subjected to or so I thought. Family, friends, work, Nick, in short everything." She inched closer to the tub to kiss Holly once; a soft, sure pledge of togetherness. "But then I met you," her tone quivered. "Something happened to me. Something very amazing happened, Holly." She loosely rested her right hand on her own sternum. "Something inside me changed...gradually and slowly but it completely changed. My whole being, my individuality, my centre...it just...it shifted like it slid into the place where it actually belonged. The axis of my existence tilted and you became my gravity," her smile was brilliant despite the tears shining her clear blue eyes. "You became everything and I don't know if just saying that I love you is enough. So please remember this, okay? I don't exist without you; I can't exist without you anymore and I don't want to." She gulped noisily. "And after all this, I really can't look back. I love you like a mad, crazy, mentally unstable person who doesn't know any limits," she gave a teary chuckle at the in-eloquence of her choice of words and sniffled twice. "I just...I don't want to rely on just words. They fail miserably sometimes."

Holly snorted with the blonde. She knew for certain that she would never love anyone like she did Gail. It was simply unfathomable. "They do," she assented to the last part. An invisible threshold dashed open as a profound sense of completion surged her from inside out. She licked the remnants of her tears from her lips. "I love you like a mad, crazy, mentally unstable person too." She announced with just the right amount of mirth.

Gail smiled but a thin layer of fear still shone over her eyes. "Please, Hol," she shakily inhaled; being this vulnerable, openly and willingly, didn't come naturally to her. "Please don't break my heart, I won't survive it." With that, she exhaled as she tried to smile.

Holly silently urged the blonde to join her in the tub. She slid ahead, almost to the middle of the tub and Gail sat down facing her, crossing the ankles behind her back. When they were both settled and comfortable, she placed her hand over Gail's heart like that simple action would protect the beating muscle. She breathed in and gave the blonde a teary smile. "I can't break your heart without shattering mine first," she whispered; promising herself to Gail, today, tomorrow, forever.

* * *

**So? Thoughts? **

**Review people! Let me know what you think...**

**I will forever be thankful. **

**Hopefully this was worth your time. **

**Oh and, yeah...apologies for the mistakes! **

**Note: This is not the end! A few more chapters are left. **

**Until next time. **

**Ciao.**


	11. Chapter 11

**A/N: Hey guys, I hope everyone's well!**

**So, the goddess of rain was overly generous over here for the last two days. **

**Which resulted in no electricity, no computer, no phone, nothing! **

**It was a very scary glimpse into 'stoneage'! :/**

**Anyway, here is another chapter. **

**Mistakes are all my doing and the story too. **

**It's kind of a very light and filler type with ample dialogues. **

**Hopefully you will like it...Also, I am obligated to tell my readers...**

**that according to my outline...only two more chapters are left. **

**But that's a thing for the future...right now. Without further delay...please proceed! **

**Enjoy!**

* * *

**Staggering Along The Way**

* * *

**A Thing Of The Past**

* * *

Monday afternoon found Gail standing outside Holly's office door. In her left hand she had a brown bag of lunch she had gotten from the place just down the street. She knocked. After a muffled 'come in', she twisted the door knob to see Holly diligently frowning and typing away at the computer. She smiled. The doctor looked so freaking adorable. She silently stepped in and closed the door behind her.

"Just one more minute," Holly lifted her pointer finger for a moment without looking away from the computer screen.

Gail placed their lunch on the empty corner of a very organized table and stood there watching the brunette. After what were exactly two minutes, Holly sighed deeply and looked at her. "Hi," she greeted with a wide smile.

"Hey," Holly whispered in return and slumped into her chair.

"I knew you would forget to eat," Gail accused sternly as she twisted to get the brown bag.

"Oh...you know me so well, don't you officer peck?" Holly hooked her fingers in Gail's utility belt and yanked.

Gail stumbled once but came to rest at the edge of the table, exactly in front of Holly. She softly groaned and clenched her jaw. "I do know you, Hol." She licked her lips as she gazed into Holly's warm cinnamon eyes.

"What's for lunch?" Holly asked while rolling her chair a little so that Gail's legs were in between hers and her head precisely in front of the blonde's lower abdomen. She took the utility belt off and carefully placed it on the left side of the table. She felt the sudden intake of breath when her hands lightly gripped at Gail's waist. "What's wrong?"

"It's nothing," Gail exhaled. She had to grit her jaw when in retaliation Holly's hold tightened. "A junkie rammed his head into me."

"Oh?" Holly distractedly responded while she unbuckled the broad black belt. "And why would a crackhead do that?" She started to pull out Gail's shirt.

"He thought I was depriving him of his rights when I stopped him from dry-humping me," Gail described the bizarre experience in a few words with a distasteful scowl marring her forehead. "What are you doing?" Gail held Holly's wrist, narrowing her eyes.

"Inspecting the damage, of course," Holly smartly answered with a smirk and unbuttoned the uniform pants. She pushed up the shirt in a bunch.

"Yeah, sure smart-ass," Gail muttered as she rested both her hands on Holly's shoulder. She swallowed when warm fingers flitted across her naked skin.

"Gail," Holly chided when she saw the scattered red contusion just above the officer's right hip bone. "This isn't nothing," she felt the skin flinch under her fingers.

"Baby, I'm okay," Gail sensed the concern in Holly's tone.

Holly knew getting into a relationship with a police officer would not be easy; the constant worry and the continuous fear for Gail's life had come as a package deal. She kissed the red skin gently and nuzzled her nose into the warmth of Gail's abdomen. "Doesn't help." She confessed softly into the soft skin and rested her cheek on the officer's stomach.

"I know," Gail's heart tattered with nothing better to say. She ran her fingers through the brunette's hair soothingly. She wanted to apologize but didn't; she was, after all, doing her job.

"Dr. Stewart, I..." the older woman blinked at the scene in front of her.

Holly's head snapped up to see who the intruder was. Her eyes went wide and her mouth opened and closed like a water-deprived fish when she saw her boss standing at the door. Gail slapped her hands away and tried to stand up straight, holding on to the loose, open pair of pants.

The older woman at the door adjusted her frameless glasses and cleared her throat. "I apologize, I should have knocked," she told them both. Turning her gaze directly to Holly, she said, "Dr. Stewart, I would like a word with you after you are finished with...," she flailed her fingers in the air and cleared her throat again. "With um...whatever this is." She exhaled and turned swiftly, leaving the stupefied pair to stare after her.

"Uh...so, that was my boss," Holly muttered after a few seconds of dreadful silence, doing her best to blink away the embarrassment.

"Your boss?" Gail growled and tucked her shirt in and closed her pants. "So, what? She doesn't knock?" She put her utility belt back on and stood with her left hand propped on her hip and her right hand pointing unbelievably to the door behind her.

"Well," Holly listlessly shrugged her shoulders. "I never really needed privacy." Taking off her specs, she abandoned the chair to stand in front of the annoyed blonde. "Hey, don't ruin your mood because of that. And don't worry; she is not going to say anything." She wrapped Gail's hands around her own waist and locked her own arms behind the blonde's neck. Tilting down, she kissed the officer softly. "Actually, I kind of need to tell you something." She apprehensively bit into her bottom lip.

Gail pulled back to catch Holly's gaze. Something about that sentence didn't sit right with her. "Yeah?" She dragged her response.

"Don't worry," Holly eased out of the loose embrace after kissing Gail's forehead once. "It's nothing bad. At least, I hope it isn't." She leaned on the table with her hands tightly crossed across her chest, facing Gail.

Gail clicked her tongue a few times and impatiently shuffled her feet. Shoving both her hands into her pant pockets, she asked. "What is it?"

Holly flattened her palms on her thighs and breathed out. "I am being offered a promotion." She supplied unenthusiastically.

Gail's eyebrows furrowed. She smiled tentatively and took a step toward the brunette. "I don't know about you babe but normally that's a good thing."

"And a transfer," Holly added, keeping her eyes locked with the clear blues.

"Huh," Gail's demeanour deflated instantly. Holly's body language suggested that the brunette had been familiar with this news for longer than her. "How long have you known, Hol?" She inquired warily.

"That meeting on Saturday," Holly responded. "I am sorry I didn't tell you sooner. I just... I didn't want to ruin our weekend, Gail." She closed her eyes and dipped her head down. "They gave me a few days to think about it."

"Have you?" Gail shook her head when she realized her tone was accusatory. "I mean, have you thought about it?"

"Honey, I don't want it," Holly declared undoubtedly, standing up straight.

"Because of the transfer?" Gail sighed heavily and scratched at her eyebrow.

"If I take the promotion, the transfer is a necessity," Holly explained.

"Why don't you want it?" Gail asked, fearing the answer.

"Do you really have to ask?" Holly gently cupped Gail's face and made the blonde look at her.

"But it's your career, Hol," Gail claimed fiercely. "You can't hamper your career. It's a fucking promotion." Her eyes were wide; she couldn't believe Holly so easily and so readily was willing to give it up. "We could try long distance, you know?" Her tone was lacking with confidence and so was she.

Holly was seriously amazed by the reaction. She had expected a tantrum or shouting or accusations but this was way more mature. "You are not angry I didn't tell you earlier?"

Gail eyed the brunette for a minute. She laughed softly. "Look, I know I can be a pain in the ass sometimes but when I say I trust you, I mean it, Hol." She tangled her fingers behind Holly's back and stepped into the brunette's personal space. "It was your decision when and how to tell me. Why should I be upset about that?"

"Oh my god," Holly whispered in a scheming voice and dumbly gaped into Gail's eyes. "Who are you and what have you done to my girlfriend?" She grunted and laughed when the officer backhanded roughly into her abdomen.

"Seriously though," Gail stopped laughing and diverted to the issue at hands. "You have got to think this through. As I said, it is a promotion, Hol." She enunciated every single word in that sentence.

"Look," Holly began to explain. "I have already had five transfers. My professional life has been quite nomadic, if you ask me. And I went with it...because I never found a reason to stay at a place for more than a year or two." She ducked down to gaze into Gail's searching cerulean eyes. "But here, I have something that I am not willing to give up just for the sake of a promotion." She kissed the blonde softly on the lips. "Also, I am amazing at what I do, so the career advancement will come when the time is right. Okay?"

Gail smirked at the brunette's confidence. It was one of the very enviable and charming qualities of Holly. "Oh?" She arched her eyebrows. "So what do you have here that you never had elsewhere?" She asked the brunette, smiling foolishly, already knowing the answer.

"You," Holly simply replied and tilted down to capture Gail's lips in a kiss. The kiss started out slow but it developed into something more. Gail groaned in pain when Holly unknowingly grabbed at the officer's sides. "I am sorry," Holly apologized and took a step back.

Gail hissed a little but stopped Holly from stepping back further. "That's okay." She stood up on her tippy toes and kissed the doctor in reassurance. "How about we have our lunch now?" She glanced at her watch. "I only have fifteen minutes left."

Holly kissed the officer once and nodded in agreement. Gail had gotten herself a medium sized burger and fries while for Holly she had ordered the grilled chicken sandwich with a side of brussel sprouts. While eating they talked further about Holly's situation.

The brunette had already decided to decline the offer and had earlier hinted at it to her boss too. She had no interest in a promotion if it meant being away from Gail. It took a little more reassurances for the blonde to finally understand that it wasn't a sacrifice on Holly's part rather a conscious decision she had made keeping both their futures in mind.

"Hello again, officer," this time the older woman didn't have to knock as the lovebirds were standing in the doorway of Dr. Stewart's office.

Gail swivelled to her left where Holly's boss was looking at her and grinning. She squeaked before covering up her slip as throat clearing. "What's up?" She flashed a forced smirk towards the older woman and hooked her thumbs into her utility belt to appear nonchalant.

The older woman's face contorted in confusion and a scowl appeared on her face at that less than appropriate response. She kept watching as the officer shuffled the feet unsteadily and flicked that unsure blue gaze between her and Holly. It felt good to have an officer squirm in front of her.

Jutting her thumb behind herself, Gail tilted her head without saying anything. She could literally feel the flush of embarrassment on her face. Swallowing, she mumbled, "yeah...umm... I should just," she nodded a few times. Awkwardly, she took a few steps back. Once she turned, her pace increased visibly and she was out of the hallway within seconds.

"Hmm," the older woman hummed thoughtfully.

"Yeah," Holly droned softly. "She gets socially awkward...a little...sometimes." She explained.

Then they both chuckled in chorus. "Is she the reason you don't want the promotion?" The older woman asked once they were both silent for a few seconds.

"Yes," Holly breathed out and made way into her officer; her boss following her. She was preparing herself to apologize about before when the older woman spoke up.

"Actually that is the reason I wanted to speak to you," the woman took off her glasses. "But first, you need to thank me." She grinned at Holly.

Holly took her time in replying. The opposite pair of azure eyes was swimming with mirth and pride. "Umm...thank you?" She questioned.

"Yes, thank me. After all I am doing you a huge favour," the older woman's grin widened as she crossed her hands behind her back.

Her boss was dressed in a pair of shiny black trouser and a silk light green shirt; it alleviated the shine of those wise bluish-green eyes. All in all, Holly thought of her boss as very classy, elite, and a proper lady. She especially liked the silver streaks that decorated her boss's perfectly coiffed hair at both the temples. "Thank you, boss," Holly bluntly said. She deliberately used that moniker, knowing it would irk the older woman; and as suspected, it yielded results.

"No... I said properly," the older woman shook her head defiantly. "You know how I don't like being called that. I have a name."

"Hmmm...a very beautiful name at that," Holly smiled and laughed softly at that pointless resolution. "So, thank you Pauline."

"See...was that so hard?" Pauline jibed playfully. "Anyway, I wanted to let you know that the transfer is not a problem anymore."

"What do you mean?" Holly asked.

Pauline sighed and put her glasses back on. She crossed her arms across her chest and looked straight into Holly's inquiring gaze. "A new suit is joining the circus here...so, he wanted to create a stupid ripple with this pointless transfer notice." She scoffed. "And I being the smart ass that I am, very helpfully pointed out just how valuable you are, effectively pulling you out of the candidacy."

Holly hummed. "And how valuable am I?" She circled the room to sit on her chair.

"Seminars, guest lectures at the academy, intelligent articles, and a proficient mentor...need I go on?" Pauline hiked her left eyebrow. "PR is a secret weapon when it comes to forensics, Holly. I just reminded them that." She brushed at her left shoulder, flourishing with pride.

"So, in addition to articles and mentoring, I will now have to go to seminars and do guest lectures?" Holly dubiously asked. "Why did I thank you again?"

"As much as I would like to, I can't get you everything, Dr. Stewart," Pauline reprimanded, back to her professional tone.

Holly lifted her arms in submission and thanked her boss again. "So, that transfer notice...what happened to that?"

"That was the second news I wanted to give you," Pauline came to lean against the table. "You will have to say goodbye to your work puppy."

"My work puppy?"

"Mmhmm...Jeremy," Pauline clarified.

"Who the hell is Jeremy?" Holly questioned, she didn't know any guy with that name.

Pauline gasped dramatically. "Aaww...that poor labradoodle...he has been following you around and here you don't even know his name. That is positively scandalous, Dr. Stewart. Not to mention, very insensitive."

Holly's lips formed a silent 'oh' of realization. Pauline was talking about that Mr. Denial from Toxicology wing. "He is going?" She couldn't keep the happiness out of her tone.

"Yup," Pauline's teeth peeked out, her smile was so wide.

"Now, I think that thank you was well deserved, Dr. Masterson," Holly smirked.

"Fine," Pauline huffed. "Be this way and I may be tempted to change my decision to keep you here." She crossed her arms again, glaring at the younger brunette.

Holly shook her head and laughed silently. She was quite lucky to have such an easy rapport with her boss; professionally and personally. "Jokes aside, I really am thankful Pauline," she lightly squeezed the older woman's forearm and expressed her honest gratitude.

Pauline brushed it off with a casual shrug. Her mind went back to the young officer she had seen with Holly, especially the letters she had seen on the name tag. "So, that officer...any relation to Superintendent Peck?" She asked Holly.

Holly pursed her lips and exhaled. It was pretty obvious that the seniors knew each other. "Yeah...her daughter. Why?"

"Oh nothing," Pauline straightened herself and uncrossed her arms. "Just be careful when the 'meet and greet' happens with her family. That Peck name...is practically a dynasty in police force. And Elaine is not going to go easy on you. She is a tough old cookie to crumble." She provided additionally and turned to get out of Holly's office. "Oh and next time...lock the door Dr. Stewart," she teasingly threw over her shoulder and went out in the hallway towards her own office.

Holly poked the inside of her right cheek with her tongue. "Believe me I will," she muttered to herself, going back to the work at hand. Today didn't turn out as bad as she feared it would.

* * *

It was late in the evening and the division was almost empty. Gail deliberately took a lot longer to finish her reports. Everyone from Gail's shift had already left. She didn't want anyone in the locker room with her at the end of her shift. So, now that she had successfully dodged her colleagues, she stood in the locker room with her jeans on; still unzipped and unbuttoned. Her side hurt when she attempted to close the jeans and she cursed the junkie for the fiftieth time that day. Although, when she looked at her bra clad torso, that contusion wasn't only thing that caught her attention. There on her left breast, just above the heart, was a rather large bite mark peeping out of her bra. Her left hand was pressed against the cold metal of her locker while her right hand fingers, shaking, traced the mark. Her body heat spiked up immediately and she desperately wanted Holly near her; aching for the intoxicating touches and kisses all over. It was a wonder that even after spending a whole weekend with Holly her desire for the other woman's touch was not curbed in the least; in fact mysteriously enough her want had only magnified now that she knew what Holly felt like; under her or above her or god even behind her! A soft moan sneaked out of her lips when she attempted to breathe out.

Traci walked into the locker room with a frown and an expletive just about ready to stumble out of her mouth. But what she saw there shocked her into oblivion for a whole second. Gail was standing by the locker with her head dipped down and the right hand somewhere near her...she seriously hoped that hand wasn't heading where she thought it was! Silently, without making a sound she padded inside the room. Her eyes grew wide at the erratic designs she could see all over Gail's back. Wow! The blonde hadn't registered her presence yet, so when she - entrapped and quite frankly too curious - lifted her hand to brush at the rookie's back, they both shrieked and stepped back.

"What the fuck, Trace," Gail hissed when the sudden jumping movement aggravated the burn in her wound. She hurriedly snatched out her shirt from the locker only to get it yanked out of her hold by Traci.

"What are you doing here this late?" Traci held the shirt hostage behind her and took a step back, out of the reach from the blonde. Her eyes immediately fell upon the visible redness on Gail's hip. "Ohhh...that's gotta hurt."

"Well, junkies," Gail shrugged her shoulders, feeling utterly exposed in her jeans and bra. "They really have thick skulls."

Traci had heard about the incident. Junkies and crackheads were the most unpredictable of arrests, she knew that. She hummed absently in agreement as her eyes trailed all over Gail's torso. The bottom of the neck was covered with fading purple bites but the one peeking out of the royal blue bra was very prominent. "Aside from that," she waved her hand at the blonde's neck and upper chest. "What happened?"

Gail growled and her blush intensified. She gulped and moved ahead to take her shirt back, causing Traci to step back further out of reach. "Nothing happened. Now give me my shirt back," she threatened.

"You are not in a position to make threats, you know," Traci poked her tongue out at the rookie. Her fun had just begun. "I was promised details, Gail. You are not getting this shirt back unless you deliver on that."

The rookie was chagrined at the fun Nash was having at her cost. "I didn't promise anything to you." She glared.

"Uh...un...no." They kept staring at each other. "Come on...," Traci whined. "Don't ruin it for me, Gail. Let me have some fun too...how many times did you come? And did you go down on her? Man that must have been a tad uncomfortable. Was it?" The detective was lost in her own haze of fun.

Gail made a face and grumbled. "Stop talking like that...for god's sakes, you are a mother, Nash."

Traci sobered up at that and eyed the blonde listlessly. "Do I really have to tell you how exactly I became a mom in the first place?"

"Eww...no," Gail shuddered. "Not the bird and the bees talk."

Traci sniggered. "Come on...Gail, my life is way too serious right now. Please... I am asking you to sprinkle a little bit of fun on it. Actually, begging you," the detective wasn't above pouting.

"Stop being a pervert, Trace and give me my shirt back," Gail demanded.

"This isn't called being a pervert. It's an art...an art of living vicariously through others' experiences," Traci reasoned ridiculously and seriously. She motioned Gail to turn around and stepped behind the blonde, holding the shirt for the rookie. Again she saw the light scratch marks on the pale back but she dutifully prevented herself from commenting. She turned the blonde and started to button up the shirt. "Okay...fine, no details. But seriously, how was it?" She asked in a very soft, friendly tone.

Gail swallowed and her eyes drifted close. She let the detective close her shirt as her mind one by one played and replayed her weekend with Holly. "I don't know how to describe that...beautiful, amazing, wonderful," she listed a few of adjective off the top of her head.

Traci saw the contentment settle over Gail's features. She had never seen the blonde portray such profound peace. Her hands rested on Gail's shoulder and she squeezed gently. "Horny, trashy, fast and furious," she teased and added her own adjectives to the list. She was shoved away by the blonde. She laughed as she asked. "But it had to be different, right?" She was quite curious, in general.

"It's not like you don't know what to do, Trace. You just become more confident as you go," Gail explained in an obscure way.

"Hmmm...well, I guess that's the best I am gonna get out of you." Traci relented. "I am happy for you." She playfully ruffled Gail's hair and dodged the punch aimed at her arm.

"If you are really that curious, why don't you go out there and experiment instead of bugging me?" Gail suggested to the detective as she wrapped her sky blue scarf along her neck.

Traci pretended to think. "Would Steve be okay with it?"

"You can always videotape it and show him. I don't think he will complain," she grinned at that and put on her blazer.

Traci tapped her chin and pursed her lips. She placed her belongings in her bag and banged her locker shut. Being a detective meant, no more changing out of the scratchy uniform anymore. That was one less hassle to go through after every tiring shift. "I will let you know what I think," she smirked at Gail. "Bring Holly to The Penny sometime, Gail. We are there almost every other day," she ran her fingers through her hair a few times and hoisted up her bag. They both made their way out of the locker room when another insane tease crossed her mind. "Gail?"

Gail was replying to Holly's message when Traci's tone caught her attention. She warily eyed the detective. "Yeah?"

"How come you were never attracted to me?" Traci had to bite her bottom lip from laughing out loud when Gail stumbled.

Gail scowled deeply at the detective. She was done being the victim of Traci's stupid puns and teases. She grinned and deliberately ran her eyes all over the detective's form. "Did you really want a love triangle with the Pecks?" She shoots and she scores!

Traci gulped as a very uncomfortable shiver crawled up her spine. She shuddered and mumbled. "No...god no." She paced ahead of the blonde. "Forget I ever said that."

Gail laughed, pleased at her come back. She deleted the half typed message and decided to call Holly. "Hey...you still at work?" She asked. "Okay, be there in ten minutes."

* * *

**So? Thoughts? **

**Hmm... Did I do your name justice? Looking forward to your review, P! **

**Only two more chapters remaining...wow! **

**Sincere apologies for the mistakes!**

**Well, hopefully you all liked the simple character growth that I tried to portray here; for both of them. **

**Let me know what you think. **

**Until next time. **

**Ciao. **


	12. Chapter 12

**A/N: Hey guys, hope you all are fine and dandy!**

**This update is little later than intended. **

**But, better late than never. Right? **

**Not proofread yet, so mistakes are mine along with the story. **

**Hopefully, you will like it. There is slight time jump. **

**For any disclaimer, refer chapter one!**

**Without further ado, please proceed. **

**Enjoy!**

* * *

**Staggering Along The Way**

* * *

**An Adventurous Celebration**

* * *

Gail was the picture of sunshine, the mascot of happiness as she bounced and trotted her way to The Penny. She had had a very satisfactory and eventful day at work. She had successfully, on her own, solved a double homicide that was staged as a murder-suicide. Also, she had made a decision to apply for the next detective rotations and give it her everything; without letting her mother being involved in any of it. Probably for the first time in her life, Gail was feeling proud, actually proud, of herself and her small achievements.

She squealed quietly inside her throat just for a single second's respite from all the firecrackers of happiness and delight bursting inside her. God, it was such a good feeling to be happy and not be snarky and pissed and angry all the time. She knew Holly was the reason behind everything...that sneaky little brunette had changed - was still changing - her perspective about life. As layer after layer came off, Gail found herself willingly transforming. In a very literal and philosophically metaphorical sense. Holly was teaching her how to live, actually live and enjoy every single day for what it was. What the hell was she doing before she had met Holly, she had no fucking clue! But, now that she had met the most wonderful person in her life, she wasn't going to blow it up. It was a vow that she had taken to herself and was determined to live up to it till her last breath.

A very loud cheer bombarded her auditory senses as soon as she entered The Penny. Her fingers, inside her jacket pockets, curled tightly and she couldn't contain her smile. A few hoots and hollers and whistles and claps later she did a good old goofy courtesy – that she had picked up from watching Victorian era documentaries with Holly – and stepped further inside.

She relaxed a little and uncurled her tight fists when her eyes locked onto the deep brown ones straight across from her. The pride and joy on Holly's face just swelled her heart with all the love she felt for the older woman. Every little disturbance in the surrounding faded into the background as she took a few steps toward Holly. Uncaring of the spectacle she might make of herself and her girlfriend, she jumped up and latched on to Holly like a koala bear, her arms and legs clasping behind the surprised brunette.

Holly yelped at the sudden weight pulling at her and she thanked her wits that she wasn't holding a drink. Her arms instinctively closed behind Gail's back. "Hi," she whispered, their lips too close and too tempting.

Gail smirked at the brunette, the outside world still faded out. "Hey," she greeted back softly and placed a gentle peck on Holly's lips. "Happy six months, babe," she mumbled into the kiss.

Holly laughed soundlessly and moved her lips to reply. "Happy six months to you too, sweetheart." And then, closing her eyes, she kissed the blonde like she wanted to. She had foregone her glasses tonight, so it was one less thing to worry about during make out sessions.

Gail was as breathless, as listless as the first time when she had felt Holly's lips against hers. A few hollers and wolf-whistles pierced through her miasma of pure delight making her groan. She pulled out of the kiss and eased out of the koala-hug. "Yeah, yeah," she waved her left hand to the crowd. "Get back to business, people; nothing to see here." She yelled at the people looking at both of them.

"Not true, darling," came the shout from somewhere and a chorus of 'oh yes'.

"Come on. Leave them be..." Holly placed a small kiss at the corner of Gail's lips and pulled the blonde to the table she was previously sitting at.

Chloe, Dov, Chris, and Andy had big smiles on their faces. Actually, no. Dov didn't seem all that happy. He was furiously and very attentively going through his deck of trivia cards like he had a deadline.

Holly sat down at the fifth chair and automatically Gail took her place in the older woman's lap. "What's wrong with him?" She asked staring at Dov.

"Oh," Holly snickered. "He is in shock. I have already dragged his ass through the dirt of defeat twice; left, right, and centre." She gloated with her lopsided evil smirk.

"Ugh," Gail made an unpleasant sound. "Again with the trivia, Dov? And seriously, you lose to Holly every single time! What's there to be shocked about?"

"You wouldn't understand," Dov lamented, still lost in those deep forests of his own geeky kingdom.

"So, congratulations," Chloe chimed in with her typical excited smile and a cheery tone. "How did you figure out the case, Gail?" She asked curiously.

"Yeah, I want to know too," Chris joined in.

"Me too," Andy muttered her agreement.

Gail stayed silent, deliberately creating suspense. Her hands were playing with Holly's left and she smiled at all of them. Leaning in she whispered, "it's in my blood," her eyes were wide and entrapping. A second later she cackled up at the confused and twisted faces on the table. She felt Holly's warm breaths on her neck as the brunette laughed with her, albeit silently.

They all frowned at her cursed a few words and went back to talking about pointless little things in their lives. "That was cruel," Holly rasped out into Gail's right ear.

Gail closed her eyes at the feeling of warm breath tickling her ear. She shrugged and turned to catch Holly's gaze. "I know," she exhaled in return. "Now go get me my drink, woman." Gail mockingly ordered.

Holly played along and looked offended. "Ask me nicely and I might."

Gail pouted a little. "Please?"

Holly playfully huffed. "The things that I do for you, blondie." She bent down to kiss Gail. "Scotch or beer?" She asked once the short kiss came to an end.

"Scotch," Gail provided and kissed Holly lightly before getting up so that the brunette could stand. "Don't worry, I will keep the seat nice and warm for you," she whispered.

"See that you do," Holly commanded and turned to make way to the bar. Her beer was too warm now and a celebratory scotch with Gail sounded heavenly.

About four minutes into their bewailing ritual about their shitty work shifts, Andy's eyes caught something interesting at the bar. "Whoa," she made a surprised, displeased sound and every eye on the table was on her.

"What?" Gail scowled.

"Don't look," Andy told the blonde in a low tone. "But your immediate past and your imminent future literally just collided at the bar." Her eyes were glued to the scene the whole time.

Gail's eyebrows drew in deeper. She had to do a double take when she saw Nick and Holly standing there in front of the bar talking. A second later she saw that the brunette seemed uncomfortable and tried to pull the shirt away from the body. Holly didn't appear mad or pissed off. On the contrary, the older woman was smiling at Nick and telling him something, normally even.

* * *

"Shit," Holly cussed as the cold scotch of the two glasses she was carrying seeped inside her shirt. Thankfully she managed to balance the tumblers and place it on the dark wooden counter of the bar before looking up to see the person she had rammed into.

Nick had no idea what to say. He gaped at Holly unable to speak. He had just taken two steps away from the bar counter when this woman appeared out of thin air. "Uh..." he mumbled something.

Holly breathed in and couldn't stop a smile from adorning her lips. "You know, Officer Collins," she tilted forward so that only Nick could hear her. "If this had happened a few months earlier, I would have slapped you right across your face...so hard that you'd be wearing my palm imprint for at least a week if not more." Her smirk kept widening with every word as she saw Nick gulp and shift on his feet. "But, don't worry. I am over it now. And this sort of things keeps happening...after all, we are in a bar, right?" She jested, but her expressions didn't support her light tone. With her left hand she pulled away the shirt and her right hand lifted to squeeze tightly at Nick's upper arm. "Right?"

Nick stared into those brown eyes and swallowed. Was this woman serious or just joking around? He cleared his throat forcefully. "Uh...yeah, sure." He had no idea what he just agreed on. "Um...Dr. Stewart, thank you for not slapping me...right across my face...so hard." He muttered awkwardly, flexing his biceps under Holly's grip.

"No problem," Holly took pity and released her hold on Nick's arm."Now if you excuse me, I should get this cleaned or at least dried off," she brushed at her rapidly drenching shirt with the back of her fingers a few times. "I will see you around, Officer Collins." She patted his firm chest twice and smiled warmly at Nick before making her way to the bathroom.

Nick stood there, blinking, a little surprised and unsure about this strange encounter with Gail's current girlfriend. "Yeah," he exhaled. "See you around." He whispered to himself before occupying the nearest empty stool and ordering a beer, still thinking about it.

* * *

Gail watched the short scene unfold from her seat and blinked. "Our immediate past," she quipped at Andy.

Andy made a face and went back to sorting through the trivia cards for their next round. Chloe and Dov were whispering their sleeping arrangements for tonight. Chris was guzzling down his coke with the innocent satisfaction of a five-year old. Gail shot up from the seat taking Holly's jacket from the back of the chair. "Excuse me," she mumbled and paced to the same direction as the brunette had gone previously.

Gail knocked at the locked door of the occupied washroom. "Hey, it's me," she said to the person inside.

Holly had wiped her scotch soaked skin with a paper towel and was inspecting the damage on her shirt when she heard the knock accompanied with Gail's vocal hint. She opened the door a little and peeked out. "What can I do for you officer?"

Gail swallowed when it became pretty obvious that Holly wasn't wearing the shirt. With her boots she pushed the door even more apart and held up the brunette's jacket as incentive.

Holly smiled and shook her head. She yanked the jacket causing the blonde to stumble inside in the washroom. She took it from Gail's hand and placed it at the dry corner beside the sink. Reaching behind the officer she clicked the lock in place. "What brings you by?" She husked.

"I am feeling a little adventurous," Gail replied hotly in a raspy tone.

Holly tilted her head. "Oh? What kind of adventurous?" She knew by now what was going through the blonde's head.

Gail drank in Holly's bra clad upper body. She pushed the brunette's hair behind and traced her hands all over the sculpted, covered breasts and quivering stomach. "I am pretty sure you gave Nick a very good glimpse of your assets, Hol," she deflected the topic and changed their position so that the brunette was the one to stand against the door.

"You jealous?" Holly took off Gail's jacket and placed it with hers. She then proceeded to take off the blonde's v-neck tee.

Gail let Holly take her t-shirt off, not caring where it went. "I have told you to keep those top buttons closed when you aren't wearing a tank under," she reminded the brunette as she maneuvered Holly's legs comfortably apart.

Holly's fingers were flitting across Gail's back, over every single vertebra. "I forgot," she retorted and pulled the blonde into herself, sighing happily when their skins touched.

Gail shuddered pleasingly at the feel of Holly's front against hers. She didn't want to waste too much time. The adrenaline was pumping inside her, pushing her into action. She unclasped the front of Holly's bra and buried her face into the warmth of the gloriously perfect breasts. "Fuck," she hissed when she saw those big, dark nipples become sturdy, stand up, begging for further attention. "I wanted to do this the moment I walked in here," Gail growled and latched onto Holly's left breast; making love to it with her lips, tongue, and teeth; all the while, fondling the right breast roughly with her left hand. Her right hand popped open Holly's jeans.

Holly banged her head on to the door. A part of her was aware that the venue wasn't appropriate for such an activity but damn if Gail knew how to render her helpless and speechless. Her jaw clenched and she groaned when Gail rolled her nipple in between those even but sharp teeth. She buried both her hands into the blonde's jeans and squeezed Gail's ass.

Gail's pelvis was exactly where she wanted. After paying equal attention to both the breasts she trailed her tongue up the strained neck, followed with torturous assaults of combined lips and teeth. Putting both her hands to use, she shoved at Holly's unzipped jeans along with those slinky panties. "Keep it down, Hol," she breathed into the brunette's ear before lapping it thoroughly wet with her tongue. Those strangled sounds escaping the brunette spurred her on but she also didn't want someone listening to them from outside.

"Can't," Holly shoved away Gail's jeans with the panties and splayed her fingers tightly on those now free smooth globes. She then brought her left and fisted Gail's hair in a bunch. She licked her parted lips when her eyes locked onto the blues that depicted a mad, uncontrolled sea of lust. With her tongue she traced Gail's lower lip and then the upper lip before it was abducted inside the blonde's mouth.

Gail sucked feverishly on Holly's tongue and moaned wildly when the brunette played with the sensitive underside of her tongue. She rolled around their tangled tongues as her right hand journeyed its way to the desired destination in between Holly's legs. She gasped in surprise when instead of the patch of rough curls she found clean and smooth skin.

Holly smugly smiled into the kiss and was aware that it had definitely surprised the blonde. She felt Gail preparing to end the kiss. And she knew a smart-mouthed comment was the next but she didn't let Gail end the kiss. She ferociously sucked Gail's tongue inside her mouth and mimicked the motions that she wanted to repeat with her fingers elsewhere.

Gail let Holly suck all her breath out into that kiss. She thought of another way as a payback. She held onto Holly's right hand that was close to her sex and pulled it away and tangled her fingers with the brunette's, resting it on the door above Holly's head. Her free right hand travelled down south and with two fingers she teased the drenched folds. She groaned at the abundant wetness and pulled her lips free. "Fuck, babe," she panted into Holly's mouth and kept up the teasing.

Holly couldn't control her hips from jerking every time Gail parted her labia slowly. She struggled to free her right hand but the blonde's grip was too much for her to keep up the fight. "Gail," she whined in a low tone.

Gail smirked. She shifted so that one of their legs was in between each others'. Thanks to Holly's parted legs, the brunette had slid a little low making them even in their heights. She pressed onto Holly's clitoris and circled mercilessly, delighting in the way the brunette rolled those broad hips into her fingers. She buried her face into the juncture of Holly's neck and shoulder. "Beg for it, Hol," she demanded of the brunette.

Holly growled. She always hated when the blonde treated sex as a power trip and made her beg. But secretly she knew it turned her on too much. Gail was, after all, the first person who could actually dominate her, a worthy challenger to her own alpha in bed. "Gail," she panted and pulled painfully at the white-blonde hair in her left fist as a warning.

Gail hissed and in retaliation bit into Holly's shoulder, grinding her fingers into the brunette's clit roughly. "I said beg for it, Hol," she growled and stopped the grinding. She simply rested her fingers against Holly's sex and thrust herself into the whimpering brunette. "Beg or I will stop," she hotly threatened into Holly's left ear and pulled the soft lobe painfully in between her teeth.

"God," Holly exhaled and swallowed with difficulty. "Fine...please just," she relented and rolled her hips twice into the blonde's legs. With determination, she opened her eyes and glowered into Gail's proud dark indigo ones. "Fuck me," she breathed out. "Please," she softly added after a beat. "Gail...," she gently moved her lips against the blonde's.

That was exactly the level of vulnerability Gail was searching for. She kissed Holly and as she gently probed the brunette's mouth with her tongue at the same time she entered Holly with two fingers quite easily. Their moans met and merged somewhere in the way while escaping in a cloud of hot puffs of breaths. Gail's right hip provided the expected leverage in every thrust. A few thrusts later she knew the release was looking down from the precipice. With her thumb she gently rolled around Holly's clitoris while diligently keeping up her thrusts.

Holly's legs had half the strength from usual. They breathed the same air and panted into each other as she struggled whether to hold on or let go. Gail's groans were getting louder with each thrust and she kept sliding further down the door. The sound of their abdomen slapping together dominated her auditory senses. The only leverage she had was the fist that was still tangled into Gail's hair.

In time, thrusts proved to take more and more energy. Gail could feel sweat dripping down her forehead, hanging over her eyebrows. "Hol," she husked out in a strained voice. Their gazes met and her determination skyrocketed. She pushed her hips wildly, in no particular manner, and pressed her thumb exactly over Holly's clit; pressure enough to elicit a little pain alongside too much pleasure.

Holly pulled Gail's face into her neck and groaned her approval. Her hips were rotating every which way. The hot breaths over her heated skin somehow fanned the flames and the white light sparkled behind her closed lids. "Fuck," she groaned and moved erratically before every speck of her energy drained suddenly and she was ready to slip down the door.

Gail felt the clenching of muscles around her and shortened the thrusts. She stopped once she couldn't move at all. Holly's grip on her hair fell and the brunette was slithering down the door. She hurriedly untangled her left hand and held onto Holly's waist, holding the doctor upright against her own body. She kept her fingers, which were still inside Holly, perfectly still. The sweat drop dangling from her eyebrows fell upon her lids as she closed her eyes. The salt of her own sweat burned her eyes for a moment.

A minute later Holly braved herself to stand up on her own but kept her hands tied behind Gail's neck. She looked up to find the blonde grinning at her. She had to smile back but as much as she wanted to, she just had no energy left to speak. She placed a soft kiss upon Gail's swollen lips and exhaled silently.

Gail kissed a path from Holly's lips to the left ear. "Again," she whispered and moved her fingers, causing the brunette to gasp and moan. She pulled out of Holly and gently circled around the still sensitive clit with those two slippery fingers. Holly whimpered and she cooed the brunette with soft, loving words. A few seconds later she felt the fluttering of those wet folds and she rested Holly against the door. "Touch me, Hol," she pleaded huskily.

Holly's arousal peaked instantly; her nerves flickered and felt alive all over again at that request. She pushed down Gail's jeans further and immediately found the wetness between those pale, creamy thighs. "Oh,yes," she licked her lips greedily as she smiled. She imitated the blonde's stance; her right hand was in between Gail's legs and left firmly holding onto the officer's waist.

Gail's strength faltered a little when Holly's fingers began the discovery between her legs and she stumbled into the brunette's body. "Inside, please I can't wait, Hol," she managed to say before she surrendered herself at the brunette's mercy.

Holly pushed two of her fingers inside Gail, knuckle after knuckle; revelling in the profuse slickness welcoming her long digits. She groaned when immediately she felt those soft muscles clenching around her fingers. She stilled, not wanting to trigger Gail's orgasm without notice.

Gail was thankful when Holly stopped moving inside her altogether. She dutifully circled the brunette's clit so that Holly could be at the threshold with her too. She felt the doctor's quiet moans and pants on her left cheek. Bathing her two middle fingers with the fresh wetness, she waited at Holly's entrance for a second before thrusting inside with a renewed force.

"God," Holly growled and involuntarily moved inside Gail. Their hips collided and began the familiar dance of frantic, hurried movements only accompanied with their gasps, moans, and almost quiet incoherent pants. No one paid attention to the muffled thuds they produced in every thrust. They were a mess of half-undone clothes, unfinished desire, and unquenched lust. The rustle of their jeans scraping against each other's provided the much needed friction, electricity to the neglected body part; the legs. The scuffing of their boots on the surface also played a major role in the remix of sounds. As the inconsistency of their thrusts increased, the vocal elements in the ongoing scene became the key component so that the release, the liberation taking place inside both of them could sneakily and silently happen without delay, without interruption. The heavy breaths, actually wheezes, were the only visible and audible aftermath of their mutual, guttural emancipation.

* * *

Holly was the first to break the silence. "What brought this on?" She inquired when her breaths became a little less laboured.

Gail laughed softly into Holly's neck. "Six months anniversary celebration, babe," she smartly replied and received a slight spank on her ass from Holly.

Holly moved and abandoned her place by the door. "We should get out of the washroom now," she jested as she pulled up her panties and jeans.

Gail grunted her response as she too fixed her clothes. She picked up her tee and put it on before standing in front of the sink. "What now?" She asked Holly as she washed her hands and face.

"Hmm..." Holly came to stand behind the blonde. "I was thinking we could continue the celebration at home? That way I won't have to hang out sporting a ruined shirt," she kissed Gail's temple and gazed at the blue eyes in the mirror.

"Do you really have to ask?" Gail smirked and licked her lips.

Holly laughed and kissed the blonde's neck. She ruffled with Gail's hair with a slight frown. "Are you going to let it grow?" She inquired, eyeing the hair that wasn't as short as a few months ago.

"Haven't decided yet," Gail sighed. She pulled on the jacket and shifted aside for Holly to take her place.

Holly washed her hands and face. She smiled when she saw how floppy Gail's hair had become in the front. She put her shirt and jacket on before pulling the blonde beside her in front of the mirror. She wet her hands and finger combed Gail's hair a few times to make it look a little tame. "There," she whispered.

These were the kind of simple, probably stupid, moments that confirmed Gail's hypothesis that she never really learned to share her life with anyone before Holly. Every little thing meant so much more than it was supposed to and it was so heart warming, so comforting that she never wanted to give this feeling up. "I love you," she giggled and wiggled her nose a little without reason because of the raging waves of happiness inside her heart, apparently making her stupid!

Holly laughed and crinkled her nose before resting their foreheads together. She absolutely adored the childish side of Gail's usual cranky personality and, in fact, she felt privileged to witness such innocence in the blonde. She kissed Gail's forehead. "And I love you," she whispered against the smooth skin. "Now shall we?" She suggested. "I am pretty sure someone knows what we were doing in there." She muttered in a mortified tone as they proceeded out of the washroom.

Gail snorted from behind Holly. She saw that the table she had previously sat at was almost empty and Traci had joined her friends. Chris and Dov were nowhere to be seen. She went to the table, "hey, when did you get here?" She asked as she stopped beside Traci.

"Hey," Traci greeted the pair cheerfully. She stood up and wiggled her eyebrows exaggeratedly at Gail, "there's my superstar," she enclosed the blonde into a very uncomfortable hug and placed a loud smooch on the rookie's cheek just to annoy the officer further.

Holly had stepped behind them, enjoying, watching her girlfriend frown at Traci and lowly grumbling about personal spaces.

"Nash...seriously, you have got to stop the hugs," Gail threatened the detective.

Traci laughed and clapped at Gail's back. "Well done, rookie," she imitated, or tried to imitate, Oliver. "Oh...sush, you secretly love my hugs, don't you Peck?" She teased. She frowned suddenly when she realized that the couple hadn't come from the entrance but from somewhere inside The Penny itself. "Where have you two been?" She pointed her fingers at both Gail and Holly.

Holly silently looked at Gail. The blonde looked at the other two occupants of the table and sent them a very dark glare. Andy and Chloe immediately understood they weren't needed anymore. They mumbled something about going to look for Chris and Dov and scampered away. "Holly was trying to get her clothes blind drunk," Gail smirked at the doctor when she received huff.

Traci eyed them both. "And how does that answer my question?"

"We were in the bathroom for the last half hour," Holly said in a normal, obvious tone, challenging the blonde.

So, a quickie wasn't exactly a quickie, Gail wondered with a small smile. Traci smirked at that and was just about to say something when Gail interrupted. "Not a word, Nash," she spat dangerously.

"But I only have one question," Traci whined and plopped down on her chair. She grinned widely, "did you guys..."

"Shut up, Trace," Gail snapped when she saw Steve strutting toward them. "Hey," she greeted her brother and watched as he bent down to kiss his greeting to Traci. "Well, this was fun but we are leaving now," Gail extended her hand for Holly to take. Traci was still looking at the blonde expectantly. She sighed and relented finally. "Yes, we did. Happy now?" She shook her head and pulled Holly with her as she stomped away from the table before Nash could come up with some other embarrassing question.

Steve looked between his sister and his girlfriend. He sat down beside Traci and leaned in. "Yes what?" He whispered and gaped at Traci like there was some huge secret to be unveiled.

Traci leaned in too. "Your sister and her girlfriend," she paused and her grin widened when Steve's hopeful eyes enlarged even more, "just had sex in the bathroom." She rushed out the last part.

"Oh...ugh, seriously Trace," Steve groaned. "I could have lived without that image in my mind." He muttered with an unpleasant scowl.

"You asked," Traci sniggered. "They look so great together, don't they? I don't think I have ever seen Gail this happy before or...in like forever." She pondered out loud as she watched the pair talking to Nick by the entrance of The Penny.

Steve glanced at his sister and Holly. "Yeah, well, pretty soon their pink bubble of happiness is going to pop." His shoulders slumped as he rested his forearms on the table.

Traci frowned at him. "Why? What happened?"

"Gail has been avoiding Mama's call for forever like usual," Steve began to explain. "But Mama has Holly on her radar now." He nodded seriously. When he didn't get any reply from Traci for a few minutes, he looked up. Traci was gaping at him strangely. "What?" He asked nervously.

"Nothing...just thinking how long it will take for me to get used to it," Traci offhandedly answered with a shrug.

"Get used to what?" Steve still didn't understand.

"Superintendent Peck being called 'mama'," Traci laughed out loud at Steve's childlike expression. She got up to get herself a drink and ruffled his ginger hair. "Don't worry, your secret's safe with me," with that she walked away, intentionally swaying her hips.

* * *

**So? Thoughts? **

**Let me know...**

**Only one more chapter left. **

**I will try to update it soon, but no promises. **

**Anyway, hopefully you liked it and I apologize for mistakes. **

**Until next time. **

**Ciao.**


	13. Chapter 13

**Hola amigos! Como estas? **

**Hmmm...so, finally the last chapter arrives! **

**There might be a few or many mistakes which I take full responsibility for. **

**But I don't think I will edit it. Every time I read the chapter, I feel like;**

**no, I should have added this or added that. And then the story would never come to an end! **

**Can't have that! So, please bear with the mistakes. **

**Oh...and yes, this is the longest chapter in the series; just putting it out there. **

**A very heartfelt thank you for each and every one who read my story. **

**For every follow, every favorite, and every review. **

**You guys were the whirlwind of inspiration behind this fiction**

**and I can only hope that I have successfully provided some semblance of entertainment to every reader. **

**Thank you so very much for being a part of this journey with me.**

**And now, without further ado...please proceed!**

**Enjoy!**

* * *

**Staggering Along The Way**

* * *

**Who Knows What The Future Holds**

* * *

It was in the last week of a very glorious, roller coaster, eight months of relationship with Holly that Gail found herself reluctantly participating in the Peck household dinner with her girlfriend, her mother, her father, her brother, and Traci too. As was her forte, she had avoided every single call from Elaine Peck. Just when she was feeling successful of evading her mother's inquisition, the superintendent reached out to Holly and practically commanded their presence at Bill Peck's birthday dinner. So, here she was, waggling around with the four-course meal that, in her personal opinion, took too much vocal effort to pronounce. And the cherry on top was that this fancy dinner played a constant tug of war with her rather simple and noxiously accustomed palate.

"Gail, sweetheart, sit up straight, will you?" All of a sudden Elaine Peck demanded of her daughter, interrupting a conversation that Steve was having with Bill. Gail mumbled something under her breath and grudgingly righted her posture. "If you have something to say, I suggest you speak up," Elaine admonished her daughter in the disguised belittling manner that was her signature tone.

"I am sorry, Mother," Gail smiled tightly at her mother and went back to stabbing the gooey looking thing that oozed on her plate. She shifted the fork in her left hand and sneaked her right hand under the table to squeeze at Holly's knee. A calming exhale languidly dived out of her as soon as her girlfriend's hand tangled with hers. She turned to see Holly giving her a small encouraging smile as if appealing her to persevere and assuring her that this nightmare will hopefully end soon, very soon.

Gail didn't even eat anything after that and because of her need to have Holly's fingers curled around her own, the brunette could only eat whatever was manageable and easy to slice with the right hand. Gail figured they could have their peasant food once they were at Holly's place. Her lips involuntarily stretched into a sneaky smile when she corrected herself in her mind; it was their place now. It had been so for a little more than a month.

Their decision to make Holly's place a home for both of them wasn't something they just spouted off one evening. It had been a gradual process that Gail had instigated. At first a few clothes, one of her uniforms, some toiletries, and such daily essentials sneaked into the brunette's house. Then one day when Gail realized that she was practically at Holly's place all the time, she set up her playstation there. A soft laugh tiptoed out of her when she remembered what had happened that evening after Holly came home. She immediately covered her slip by coughing aggressively and pretending to choke on something. That evening was – and most probably will always be – one of the most bizarre sexual experiences. She was in the middle of her Resident Evil game when Holly had just given her the smouldering look, situated behind her while she kept playing, and had extremely and very expertly shocked her into nothingness by fucking her in that position. Her character onscreen was killed off brutally the same instant she thrashed through her orgasm. But damn what a blissful way to die it was! After that, it was a silent agreement and within a week Gail's things were provided the rightful place they deserved in that home.

Gail heaved a silent sigh and squirmed a little upon remembering about that evening. She licked her lips and swallowed. She chanced a glance at every single occupant on the dining table before doing something she never thought she would in the Peck household. She twisted her jaw to the side and prodded her molar teeth with her tongue as she parted her legs a little, careful not to hamper her posture. Bringing forth both her hands into play, she untangled Holly's fingers one by one, caressing their length as she went. She stretched the brunette's palm just above her right knee with a slight pressure and began to run it along the length of her thigh. She saw Holly's chest rise up and down depicting short, silent gasping breaths. This was too mischievous, thrilling...she brought Holly's hand right in between her legs and crossed them tightly, capturing the pleasing weight exactly where she wanted.

Holly hissed and breathed in shakily. She let the fork slip out of her fingers and prayed that they didn't clatter on the plate. She resituated herself a little and tilted to her left, toward Gail. She pressed into the seam of the blonde's jeans and felt the vice grip tighten around her fingers. She squeezed again and poked her thumb into Gail's thigh indicating the younger woman to loosen a little. When it happened, she travelled up carefully keeping the constant pressure. She ran up and down the zipper twice and popped open the restricting button. Now the zip was a tricky part as it would of course produce some sound when pulled. So, to be on the safe side she let the zipper be as it was. A little uncomfortably she pushed two of her long digits inside Gail's jeans. Just as she had reached the short curls underneath, something broke their private stupor. Their wide eyes, surprised and caught, locked onto each others', wondering what it was that interrupted their stealthy little horny dance around.

"Doctor Stewart?" Elaine's voice painfully pierced through Holly's senses like a blunt knife continuously, unsuccessfully trying to cut through a patch of skin.

Huh! So that was the thing that put out the fire. Holly snatched off her hand and turned to her right. Her eyebrows hiked all the way up to her hairline and lips pursed. "Hmm?" She was pretty confident her impression had just gone down the drain.

Gail had to bite into her bottom lip to prevent from laughing out loud at that dumb comeback. She put her left forearm on the table, tilting a little to see her mother and with her right palm drew comfortable, calming circles on Holly's back. "I am sorry, I distracted her," she took the blame, rightfully so.

Elaine just huffed and looked over at everybody's plate. "Well, if your little love game on my dinner table is over, I would like Dr. Stewart to help me clean this up." She directed at Gail. Then she flicked her gaze to Holly. "If she doesn't mind, of course," still addressing the brunette in third person.

Gail clenched her jaw. She knew this was just a clear and a pathetic plot of getting Holly alone and trying to do the whole terrorization thing. It was like a power trip for her mother; these little intimidations Elaine practiced on people. It was like it fed Elaine's essence or something equally vital. She could never understand that though.

Holly's eyebrows drew in slightly at that kind of aloof acknowledgement. She inhaled deeply and stood up with habitual poise. "It will be my pleasure, superintendent," she didn't feel comfortable leaving out the title as Gail's mother did the same with her.

Elaine hummed and stood up. It took them only three rounds to clear the dining table as bare as before dinner. Steve and Traci had moved to the living room area with Bill. Gail was antsy and restless and she just had to stop Holly from immediately escaping her during the last round. "I don't like this," she hissed and gripped onto Holly's forearms.

Holly tilted her head and sighed. She freed her hands gently and tugged at the blonde. Silently, she smirked as she felt around Gail's waist and as expected the button was still undone. "I was looking forward to this," she husked; her hot breath teasing the blonde's lips. Gail gulped and gasped when Holly's fingers sneaked under the panties. Holly laughed softly and bent down to lightly bite into the blonde's bottom lip as she closed the button. "What was that about anyway?" She was curious.

Gail snickered and blushed adorably. "I was thinking about videogames and orgasms," she rasped and inhaled unsteadily. She saw the realization dawn on Holly's features. "Let's just get out of here. I don't like you being alone with my mother," she expressed her fear. She really didn't want the brunette to feel like a specimen on display under the microscope called 'Elaine Peck'.

Holly cradled Gail's face gently in between her palms and nuzzled their noses. "Honey, I will be fine. Don't worry." She placed a playful wet kiss at Gail's nose tip and smiled in assurance.

Gail huffed and closed her eyes. "Fine...whatever." She twisted her fingers into Holly's shirt collar. "Do not engage her. Whatever she says about me just let her get it out, okay? Also do me a favour? Please just remember that I love you and I absolutely cannot live without you. So, I am begging you...do not let her get to you." She rambled hurriedly in one breath.

Holly had heard stories about the tumultuous relationship Gail had with Elaine Peck but this was some other level of fear and anxiety. It was like the blonde sincerely believed that Elaine Peck could do something, say something that would make her run for the hills. She could only wait and see. "And I love you, Gail. It will be fine. We will be out of here soon, just relax. Go talk to others, okay?" She placed a soft kiss on top of the blonde's head and kept their gazes connected for a few seconds more before finally taking the last few items on the dining table and making her way to the lavish kitchen where, according to Gail, the probable catastrophe of their relationship awaited with the fangs and nails ready to pounce.

* * *

Elaine and Holly worked in tandem in the kitchen albeit surrounded with an uncomfortable silence. Holly, at first, just awkwardly stood a few steps behind Elaine as the older woman rinsed the dishes and readied them for the dishwasher. While putting away the dishes, Elaine instructed the doctor to get the already opened bottle of white wine out of the cooler and pour them both a glass. Holly tapped her fingers on the hard kitchen counter after pouring the wine in both the glasses, waiting for Elaine to be done with the job.

Elaine came to stand in front of Holly and rested her back against the counter, causing the brunette to imitate her and take place at the opposite counter. She picked up one of the wine glasses and without cheers or a single word, started sipping. She frowned when Holly only gaped at her and motioned the brunette to take the glass. A few moments of silence later, Elaine placed the glass back on the counter. "Dr. Stewart, I am not one to beat around the bush. So, let's just slice through this awkwardness and get to the point, shall we?" She crossed her ankles and her arms, staring up at the taller woman still managing to be intimidating enough despite of the height difference.

Holly was quite literally amazed by the attempted terrorizing stance and also she found it a little funny. Was there really a need for all this? "And what is the point exactly, superintendent?" She swirled the wine in her glass and kept her tone respectful but confrontational.

Elaine cleared her throat before taking another slow sip of the chilled beverage. "You have always been a straight A student and you graduated the top of your class. You are a doctor having quite a respectable job with a very splendid reputation which, I must say, is pretty impressive at such young age." She saw that Holly was about to smile and acknowledge the routine praise. So she waved it off and continued. "Where as my daughter is just a uniformed cop. What is it that you actually stand to gain by being in a relationship with Gail, I don't understand."

Holly could only blink at the 180 degree tilt in Elaine's tone. Lisa's comment from all those months ago flitted through her thoughts momentarily. "I am sorry, what?" She muttered with a scowl on her forehead. The wine glass's stem loosely hanging in between her thumb and the forefinger.

Elaine breathed in deeply. "Gail is just a police officer with an ambiguous approach towards everything in life. Wouldn't you say there is quite a bit of difference in everything?" The way her question was directed left no room for any doubt.

Holly sipped at her wine slowly. "You say that like it's a bad thing." She mused vocally, without any particular intonation.

Elaine swirled the wine and kept her gaze flicking between the liquid and Holly. "Not necessarily, no," she expressed with a tight lipped smile. "I am merely concerned about the dynamics between two people so fundamentally different. And as I said, I am not particularly a fan of Gail's ambiguity; whether it be her career, her future, her relationships, and now apparently her sexuality too. So, what is a focused and successful doctor like you doing with my ambitionless daughter?" Elaine's tight-lipped smile never left as she hiked up her left brow, waiting for a response.

Holly was dumbfounded. Does this woman really know Gail or what? Ambiguity towards life? That was so not Gail's attitude. And if it was career in question then, Holly knew it was Elaine's twisted perceptiveness of really believing that Gail was not ready to advance in the career department that stopped the blonde from even trying. But that was all in the past. "I don't understand." Holly tried to keep her annoyance at bay. "You acknowledge my success, thank you for that by the way, and in the same sentence you offend me by blatantly insulting your own daughter?" She really had no clue how this woman's mind was working and towards what? What would this line of discussion, questioning gain after all?

"It's hardly an insult when those are the facts," Elaine countered. "I expected her to outgrow the uniform within a year or two but she petulantly risks her job for petty reasons. It's like she doesn't want to give up being a uniformed cop. At every stage of life, she has failed to stand up to my expectations and I am sorry if it feels insulting to you but I, being her mother, can't actually respect the choices she has made in life." She paused to inhale and exhale. "She thrives on rebellion and I am only making sure that this relationship with you isn't another silly little display of mutiny against me."

Holly breathed in heavily and swallowed languidly. So many words clawed at the back of throat to surge ahead but she couldn't lose her composure; however infuriating this woman may be. This was after all Gail's mother. She stayed silent for a few seconds and guzzled the wine before standing up straight to her full height with her hands shoved in her slacks' pockets. "You are Gail's mother and you are allowed to have a few expectations from her but being a parent doesn't give you the right to ruthlessly and continuously weigh her down under those expectations." Her tone was flat but it didn't leave any chance for a comeback as she kept staring at Elaine defiantly. "You want her to advance in her career because that's what you want. I want her to become successful because that's what she wants, regardless of my opinion of her status in the force." She asserted. "For me, her happiness at the end of the day matters the most. And if being a uniformed cop, being out there, helping people is what brings her peace then I will be happy for her, happy with her." Her chest expanded as she inhaled. "And I suggest you get your facts straight. Gail is anything but ambiguous. She cherishes her life and she enjoys every moment of it. She values and cares about people close to her. She is extremely giving but when it comes to having acknowledged, she prefers to stay in the background. And my god, she is loyal to the point of self-destruction." Holly huffed and took a step closer to Elaine. "She is this beautiful creature who hides away because she inanely fears that she might disappoint someone by showing who she truly is. And so, she becomes abrasive and keeps them at an arm's distance; to keep them from being disappointed and to keep herself from becoming a disappointment. It's her shield, her own way of protection." She clenched her jaw once and licked her dry lips. "I am sorry to say this but if you think what you know are facts then that's because Gail wants you to think so. Oh, and no, this relationship with me is not her show of rebellion. I love your daughter and I want a life, a future with her." She couldn't help but smile at that thought. "I do not mean to be disrespectful but I don't need your blessing for that. If you accept our relationship I will be happy, mostly for Gail because even though she appears to be tough, she constantly thinks of herself as a bitter disappointment when it comes to you. So, no I do not need, or ask, for your blessing. Coming to this dinner was obligatory but standing here and listening to you put down Gail and her life choices isn't." She turned to leave but stopped at the doorway of the kitchen. "I really hope that someday you could see for yourself what an incredible person your daughter is. Hopefully before you lose even this semblance of a relationship you have with her." She suggested harshly before leaving. She had to get away from Elaine before losing her cool. It didn't matter how badly she wanted to snap at the older woman but being disrespectful to elders wasn't something she could forgive. So she raced away as fast as she could in search of Gail and get out of this house instantly.

* * *

Gail was absentmindedly twiddling her thumbs as the conversation around her morphed into a mindless buzz upon her ears. She worried what was going on with Holly and her mother. What was her mother telling Holly? She jerked when Traci placed a hand on her shoulder. Her wide eyes looked up at the standing woman.

For Traci, it was quite evident what was going through the blonde's mind. She squeezed Gail's shoulder slightly and offered a smile. "Don't fret."

"Easy for you to say," Gail puffed out a heavy breath and stood up with an intention to pace.

Traci was about to say something when Holly's presence captured everybody's attention. Gail frowned as she saw the stiffness in her girlfriend's posture. She immediately took a few steps and stood in front of Holly. "What's wrong? What did she do? Did she say something to you?" The ferocity in her tone uprising with every question.

Holly couldn't say anything. She closed the distance between them and collected the smaller woman in a tight embrace. Peace settled in every cell of her body as soon as the calming scent of Gail's shampoo wafted through her nose. She kissed the blonde's neck lightly. "Can we just go, please?" She breathed into Gail's ear, suddenly feeling too tired to stay.

Gail nodded without thinking. "Yeah, sure." She glanced at the other people in the living room and offered a hesitant smile before both of them made way to leave. A million thoughts raced through her mind and her anger at her mother just kept flaring. She really didn't want to leave without saying a word. She knew Holly would just deflect and not tell her exactly what had happened but she had an inkling that it wasn't anything good. Getting the brunette upset was not an easy feat and yet somehow Elaine Peck had successfully done exactly that. Gail ground her teeth painfully as her nostrils and temples flared.

Holly stopped mid-way and turned to look at Gail. She kept looking and looking. Her throat closed and she blinked away the burn of tears. "Gail?"

"Hmm?" Gail hummed, unsure.

"You do know..." Holly choked in her next breath. She cleared her throat and cupped Gail's face gently, stroking the soft cheeks with her thumbs; her warm brown eyes darting in between the apprehensive blue ones. "You do know that you are not...damaged. I mean like a screw up or something?" She finished dubiously, cursing herself for saying anything at all. She really should have waited for the feeling to just disappear.

Gail narrowed her eyes and stared at Holly for long seconds. She got some idea what her mother must have said. "Holly, I know I am not perfect and neither are you. I have some issues and you know I am working through it. You helped, and keep helping...a lot. And yes, I know I am not a screw up or a damaged soul or anything like that. Okay? Stop worrying about something so silly..." she checked her pockets for car keys and remembered that she had forgotten her jacket in the house itself. "I forgot my jacket." She kissed Holly's left palm and took a few steps back. "Stay here...I will be right back, okay?" She turned and sprinted towards the front door.

Gail found her jacket hung by the coat hanger near the entrance. She patted the pockets once and cussed at her forgetfulness. The gift she and Holly had gotten for Bill was still in the inside pocket. She put it on and stepped toward the living area when she heard her mother's voice. Her grip tightened around the box in her hand.

"Well, one thing is for certain," it was Elaine's voice that drifted. "That woman can confidently stand her ground in front of me." There was a drop of disappointment in that tone.

Gail inhaled and prayed for all the strength she could gather. She stopped at the entrance of the living room. "That woman has a name," she almost growled. "Holly Stewart." Every eye in the room was on her but the only pair clashing into hers, were her mother's. She gulped when Elaine's cold gaze almost made her feel weak and feeble as it always did. But she pushed the feeling down and thought of Holly and miraculously her strength didn't abandon her. She stepped inside, toward her mother. "That woman is my life, my present, and hopefully my future. I am going to marry her someday...and maybe even start a family." She carefully and slowly enunciated every single word of that sentence. Her lips involuntarily curled at the corners. "I can give up everything for her. My family, my job, my sanity, or my life. Anything." She swallowed with some difficulty when that declaration made her throat constrict. "I don't know what you said to her and frankly I don't give a fuck." A small wave of satisfaction caressed her galloping heart when Elaine flinched at the expletive. "I am not asking you to suddenly accept that I am capable of making good life choices or see me as just a person who doesn't always want the same things that you want for me. It doesn't even bother me anymore. I am happy being a disappointment in your life but when it comes to Holly," she stepped ahead, only a feet or two away from her mother. "When it comes to the woman I love, I won't tolerate it, mother. She is not a decision...she is everything I have and she is the only one that I desperately need. And you need to respect her presence in my life. If you can't, then trust me when I tell you, that I can give you up in a blink of an eye." She blinked when she realized that a thin film of moisture had settled beneath her lids. "No one has the right to hurt her. Not even me and definitely not you...I won't allow it." She almost threatened her own mother. The realization dawned on her suddenly and to her extreme astonishment and shock that paralyzed her heart for a moment.

Gail breathed and realized that she was holding something in her right hand. She glanced down and blinked. Turning to her left, she smiled at her father. She kneeled in front of her father and extended her arm to him. "Happy birthday, daddy," she wished him softly and kissed his right cheek.

Bill smiled at her and kissed her forehead. However tense Gail's relationship got with Elaine, thankfully for him, his daughter didn't deflect it into their relationship. It wasn't ideal father-daughter type relationship but it wasn't toxic and tumultuous like Elaine's equation with Gail. He took the box from Gail and tore the wrapper like an impatient five-year old. His smile widened when he saw the words Rolex come to view.

"It's vintage," Gail provided in a low tone.

"Must have cost you a fortune," Bill wondered aloud when he opened the lid and saw the glittering silver watch. He ran the pad of his thumb over the dial once before laughing softly. "Thank you, Gail."

"Eh, it's nothing," Gail shrugged, embarrassed and slightly pink. "Holly knew someone so we kind of got a good deal. She picked this design...simple and elegant." She chuckled and shook her head. "I wanted to buy one with the heavy bling...you know, to mock you of your old age," she teased and laughed at the frown Bill gave her.

"Watch your mouth, young lady," Bill playfully reprimanded and stood up with Gail, embracing his daughter to his heart's content. "I like Holly," he whispered into Gail's ear and kissed her temple once before releasing both of them out of the hug.

Gail smiled at her father and nodded once in a silent thank you. "I should go..." she bid her goodbye to Bill, Steve, Traci, and basically ignoring Elaine's presence in the room. When she was just outside the room she came to a sudden halt. Holly stood a few steps away from her with arms crossed and an amused look. She crinkled her nose and huffed and walked right by the brunette. She didn't want to ask how much Holly had heard. She just wanted to leave the Peck household immediately.

Holly sighed happily and turned to follow Gail. So her decision to come inside after the blonde proved to be fruitful. She had obviously heard everything. She visibly shivered when Gail's honest declaration of wanting to marry her someday replayed in her mind. She was so giddy that she sneakily jumped up and down while walking to their car.

Gail was becoming nervous. Her concentration kept breaking as her eyes kept flicking to the brunette beside her. Holly had been weirdly smiling and staring at her from the moment the drive began. She brought the car to a stop on the signal. "What?" She barked, frowning.

Holly pinched Gail's cheeks causing the blonde to grumble and growl. Finally taking pity she diverted her eyes and sighed, watching the outside world function monotonously around her. "Nothing...you just make me happy." She softly said and without looking, searched for Gail's free hand to entwine their fingers together.

Gail shook her head and accelerated the car once the signal turned green. "You make me happy too, Hol," she replied just as softly and squeezed their tangled fingers lovingly.

* * *

They were back to their routine after that fiasco. Gail had tried to pry out everything from Holly but the brunette was a tough cookie, as they say. In the end, it was the blonde who had to stop asking Holly about what Elaine had said that night. Gradually the days went by and their life proceeded. Gail was too busy with the job and studying for the detective's rotation while Holly's schedule too had turned quite brutal with the increase in paperwork due to those extra perks of getting her transfer stopped. Sometimes it just so happened that they barely got to see each other and when they did, anything and everything turned into an unnecessary argument. It was the professional frustration creating a dent in their personal peace. But still...having someone to come home to, was a much greater feeling than being constantly irritated and deliberately arguing about something silly.

And what so often happens, the days turned into weeks, weeks morphed into months, and finally the months altogether marked their first year anniversary. Gail was pretty positive about her snatching the next detective spot and to her extreme delight, her mother was nowhere interfering in the process. Holly too had some respite when Pauline, the brunette's boss, practically ordered the doctor to take a week or so off before the office could be sued for murder due to over-work. Gail wanted to make this as special as she possibly could for Holly. So, after too much dwelling, she had decided to sponsor a trip to Vancouver and spend a few days with Holly's family; which constituted of Holly's father, a step-mother who was quite the character and more like a friend to the brunette, and two younger half-siblings who worshipped the doctor's intellect. Sadly, Holly's mother had died of breast cancer when the brunette was in high school. She often encouraged the doctor to talk about it and in turn the older woman helped her talk through the tough ordeals her job always threw at her. It was a comfortable camaraderie like no other she could imagine. She literally felt herself grow as her life became more and more significant because of Holly's constant existence in it. It began with Holly and it ended with Holly. And in between, the journey, it was her trying to become the kind of person who actually deserved Holly's love, respect and companionship.

* * *

That night, the night of their first year anniversary, they were cuddled up on the couch with Gail lying on top of Holly while binge watching the latest season of Grey's Anatomy. "God...this should come with a warning," Gail groaned. "Beware: you might feel like punching the shit out of the writers at some point." She added and chuckled.

Holly laughed and delighted in the way the blonde's body shook softly over hers. "And why is that?" She amusedly asked as her right hand fingers marked every bone in the blonde's spine.

"Why not?" Gail grumbled. "First, ever body sleeps with everybody...ugh that's practically incest. I mean all that exchange of body fluids...oh yuck." She exaggeratedly made a gagging sound. "Second, no hospital in the world is cursed to such an extent that every year somebody has to die. Third, they are so fucking twisted...they knowingly ruin their lives and their relationships. Fourth, simply because it's so over the top drama." She sighed heavily.

Holly wasn't surprised by Gail's almost to the point tirade but what was the blonde expecting? "It is fiction, Gail. So, technically they can write the way they want to. Is there anything you like about it?"

"Oh...yeah, that Asian chick, Christina Yang is a delight. I mean what a brilliant character," Gail gushed. "I wish I actually knew someone like that in real life...you know a real doctor," she giggled and squealed when Holly pinched her side.

"Seriously? A real doctor?" Holly kept poking at Gail's ticklish sides.

Gail spluttered and squirmed. She gasped when she almost slipped off the couch but Holly at the last moment caught her and stopped the fall. "Fine. I admit...you are a real doctor." She smirked and nipped at the skin above Holly's heart.

They went silent for a few moments after that. The sequence with Callie and Arizona struggling through their relationship with a child in the equation caused Gail to think about something. "Holly?" She mumbled into the brunette's warm skin.

Holly muted the television and threw the remote on the coffee table. "Yeah?" She shoved her hands in Gail's jeans' back pockets.

"Do you want kids?" Gail asked in a very timid voice, almost afraid of the response.

Holly blinked and involuntarily flicked her gaze to the television. Gail's body moved as she strained her chest to breathe in fully. "I suppose...not right now though. But yes, someday." She answered.

"Hmm," Gail hummed. She drew mindless patterns on Holly's shoulder with her right hand fingers. "And how do you suggest we do that?" She dubiously questioned.

"That depends," Holly cleared her throat taking a moment to actually realize that she was discussing an aspect of their future with Gail. "If you want the family genes to be carried ahead then we could ask our brothers for some contribution." She was about to elaborate on her thought when Gail's strangled moan stopped her from continuing.

"No, no, no absolutely not," Gail propped herself on her elbows and glared at Holly. "Look, I respect everyone who does that but there is just no way I am letting Steve's little swimmers anywhere near your lady parts," she twisted her face in disgust. "And I cannot believe I am talking about my brother's sperm to my girlfriend," she muttered with a deep scowl. "An unknown donor...definitely a donor. I mean if you are okay with it...I...mmhmm...you know, the donor being your brother and...um if I carry," she shrugged her shoulders awkwardly and bit into her lips, feeling a lot uncomfortable about the pictures flickering through her mind.

Holly smiled at her adorable girlfriend. Those platinum blonde locks were now too untamed to stay behind the blonde's ears. Gail had started experimenting with different hairdos. Currently it was quite swishy and floppy and disarrayed which gave Gail a very cute tomboyish look overall. "Okay...no family members. We will look into sperm donors when the time comes," Holly assured the blonde and smiled widely when Gail's features relaxed.

"Thank you," Gail kissed Holly's chin and laid her head back at the brunette's chest.

"You are welcome," Holly replied. She will just have to look for a very specific donor, who could match at least a few of Gail's natural traits; that was going to be a tough job for them.

"How many though?" Gail wondered aloud.

"Kids?" Holly asked. She felt Gail's nod on her chest. "Hmm...two should be enough, right?"

"Yeah," Gail muttered. After a few seconds of silence she spoke again. "Where would you like to live, Hol? You know, when we are old and crippled?"

Holly thought and thought. "I think somewhere away from the city...away from this rush, this noise. Somewhere right in the lap of mother nature," she put across her wish gently.

Gail hummed. "I'd like that," she agreed and again situated herself on her elbows but this time slithered up a little so her face was directly above Holly's. "By then you would be this famous forensic pathologist with a few books published...and I would be the grumpy retired...inspector munching away all your hard earned money," she grinned wickedly. "And our kids would be off to college or gallivanting across the world..." she stopped.

Holly was enjoying it. She frowned a little when Gail stopped. "And?"

"And we will buy a cabin in the woods somewhere far," Gail smirked as she rested their foreheads together. "We will be this two senile, scary old women...frightening kids who come anywhere close to our property...with our unkempt gray hair, flabby skin covered with liver-spots, and...oh...oh can we get false teeth?" Gail giddily asked and promptly sat up straddling the brunette, lost in her excitement. "Kids always freak out when old people take those off and smile with just their disgusting...pink gums and no teeth," her eyes were wide and that smile just knew no bound. "Oh...oh and we'd be very skimpily dressed...almost inappropriately, always hanging out on the porch, drinking beer after beer, listening to the radio very loudly and maybe even fucking each other silly right there in the open. What say?"

Holly pursed her lips in mock seriousness and nodded a few times. "It is such a sweet deal." She deadpanned. "Clearly you have given our old age a lot of thought. I knew I saw a few gray hair on your head the other day," she ended with that tease.

Gail's features immediately looked affronted. She narrowed her eyes into two perfectly piercing slits. "No...you didn't. I do not have gray hair." She declared and slapped Holly's abdomen twice as a punishment.

Holly grunted a little. "I am serious," she said.

Gail frowned and clearly started doubting herself. She glared at Holly for any sign of slip in the composure but it didn't happen. "I am getting old?" She whispered with horrified gulp as her hands reached up to finger at her hair.

Holly laughed hysterically and very loudly at that. Her whole body shook violently and she couldn't help but squirm. Gail's accusing and confusing look was so amusing that it only aggravated the humour of the situation. She wrapped both the hands around her stomach and turned causing the absentminded blonde to squeal. Her laugh was accompanied with a painful grunt when she fell on the floor with Gail's body thumping into hers.

"That wasn't funny," Gail growled and kicked Holly's legs while simultaneously lightly punching the brunette's back.

Holly curled herself into a fetal position as she turned on her left side, dodging Gail's attacks but her laughter still didn't stop. "It was," she kept laughing.

Gail grumbled and untangled her limbs from Holly's to sit back up on the couch. "Just for that...no sex tonight," Gail harrumphed. Her lips twitched in satisfaction when Holly's laughter suddenly started dwindling. "And FYI, I had a surprise planned...to which you just lost the privilege." She stared at the brunette lying down on the floor looking up at her.

Holly tried to calm down and wrap her laugh-addled brain around the threat. "What?" She muttered as she tried to breathe normally. "You can't do that." She shook her head vehemently. "You won't do that. It's our first year anniversary...you can't leave me hanging dry, okay?" She protested like it was her right.

Gail incredulously looked at Holly with a glower. "You sure you want to use that tone with me right now?"

Holly sat up and tamed her hair. She glanced up at the blonde's serious face and fumbled for words. Her mouth opened and closed a few times before she pathetically just managed to mumble, "no," and hung her head while fingering the worn out seam of her jeans.

Gail shimmied a little in her seat and sneakily pumped her fist. She cleared her throat. She clucked her tongue and shook her head depicting how sorry she felt. "Such a loss, Hol. And here I thought we could share those toys you keep hidden away in the left corner of the lowest shelf in your closet," she very casually mentioned and made a show of examining her nails.

Holly's breath slammed out of her lungs in a pitiable woosh. She gulped and moved on her knees. "What?" She wasn't sure she had heard Gail correctly or her mind was playing tricks on her.

Gail scoffed smugly. "Not laughing now, are you doctor?" She mocked.

Holly smiled and waddled her way to kneel in front of the grumpy blonde. Without preamble, she yanked the blonde to the edge of the couch. She wasn't in the joking mood anymore. She licked her lips and tilted forward. "Tell me you are serious," she husked just a few inches away from Gail's lips. Her gaze danced from those parted lips to the darkening blue eyes. "Tell me," she ground out of clenched teeth. Her hands were tightly gripping onto Gail's sides, itching for the touch of skin.

It was this look, this crazy lust, wanton, animalistic, and unbidden want in Holly's eyes that always faltered Gail's stand. And she willingly let herself slip too. She was so powerless and yet it felt like a manic rush to provoke a feeling of such magnitude in Holly. "Yes," she hotly whispered and whatever she was about to say got strangled as Holly pressed their lips together in a rushed kiss. She moaned at the ferocity of the brunette's action.

Holly, with much effort, separated from Gail momentarily. "Are you sure?" She exhaled. "I won't stop...and I can guarantee that you won't be able to walk tomorrow," she smirked and pulled at Gail's tee.

Gail was always up for a challenge in the bedroom. "And who says...you will be the one wearing it," she challenged and gasped when Holly without waiting a beat bit into her right breast through the fabric of her bra.

Holly laughed and unclasped Gail's bra before freeing herself of her tank and bra. "My toy, my rules," she wrapped the blonde's legs around her waist and stood up in one lift, enjoying Gail's squeal at the sudden move.

Gail groaned and arched her front into Holly, deliciously pressing their breasts together. As the brunette walked the stairs, she kissed along Holly's neck up to an ear. "You know," she rasped and laved the soft earlobe with her tongue. "You could always use handcuffs if you don't want me to fight your alpha," she dug her canines into the lobe and pulled.

Holly faltered on the next step and warned, "Gail." She opened her eyes and rushed ahead as soon as her over excited body could manage. "I sure would like that," she whispered and squeezed Gail's ass roughly. Thankfully they reached the bedroom soon enough. Holly literally threw Gail on the bed and started to shove both their jeans down, haphazardly. Falling and stumbling she reached her closet to take out the box and grab Gail's handcuffs. She turned with strap-on and handcuffs hanging from both her forefingers. "This is the best anniversary ever," she exclaimed, unable to contain her body tissues from vibrating viciously.

Gail was fully naked, resting on her elbows. She shuffled her way to the top of the bed and made a show of parting her legs completely open. She shivered when a mild draft of coldness slithered along her hot and slick sex. She dropped her head on two pillows and teasingly brought her left hand on her lower stomach, moaning softly. She watched as Holly fumbled with the strap. Her hand on its own travelled down to test the waters. "Fuck," she hissed. "Oh yeah, the best anniversary ever," she collected some of the wetness on two fingers and circled her left nipple with it.

Holly was stunned, she couldn't move. Gail was the sex-goddess she got to worship and she considered herself damn lucky for that. She watched as the blonde fingered through the glistening wetness and smothered it over one of the hard nipples. She groaned when Gail crooked a finger and made a 'come hither' motion at her. The bed squeaked with the force when she literally jumped at Gail. Within a second, the distinct click of handcuffs sounded and Gail's hands were constricted above their heads on the bed. Holly bent down to lick away the delicious wetness from the nipple and rolled the small protrusion in between her teeth.

Gail growled and arched off the bed. When Holly settled completely in between her legs, she gasped in repetition; desperate to free her hands as the desire to claw at Holly's back was overwhelming her senses. "Hol," she groaned deeply. In retaliation the brunette shifted and the cool silicon material of the dildo teasingly ran over the excessive wetness that just kept increasing by the second.

Holly stilled and gazed down at Gail's begging eyes. "Hey," she breathed.

Gail stopped squirming too. She looked up and saw the love, the warmth oozing out of those big brown eyes. "Hi," she whispered and smiled.

Holly nuzzled their noses together. "It's always going to be like this, right?"

Gail laughed softly. She nodded. "I promise. Even when we are eighty, heavily wrinkled, gray, boney, and toothless...I would still want you so, so desperately, Hol," she jested but the seriousness wasn't lost due to that. "I love you."

Holly smiled and brushed their lips together. "And I love you." She swallowed when Gail imperceptibly nodded, they groaned in unison as she shifted to have the tip of the dildo rest exactly at the welcoming entrance. They both moved their hips in tandem and a growl and a loud moan escaped out into the air around them.

Gail's legs fell open even wider and she pushed her hips up to devour that scrumptious penetration completely inside her to its full length. Holly let her direct and kept the movements as gentle as possible without being painful. "Oh...yes," Gail growled at the satisfying feeling of fullness. Her walls fluttered selfishly and greedily around the shaft that was so pleasingly offending. She was now regretting the suggestion of handcuffs. Her palms itched to scratch and claw at Holly, mark the brunette red till her heart's satisfaction. But, alas!

Holly knew Gail was struggling with the constricted hands and frankly she too missed having the blonde's hands roaming around her back. But, this vision of submission was too tempting to give up so soon. She still couldn't believe that they had been together for a whole year now. It seemed just like yesterday when Gail was stopping her mid-path, restricting her entrance into a crime scene that rightfully demanded her presence. Their moans, grunts, and growls made for an amazing melody as her mind got hijacked with the thoughts of their future together and what all they might face. Her grunts got breathless as it became difficult to move when Gail's walls desperately started to clutch around the dildo, forbidding its movement.

Gail's back was arched painfully off the bed and her neck was hoarse from all the loud groans and growls. The pain against her handcuffed wrists provided yet another dimension of pleasure and made her all the more desperate and determined to thrash around vehemently. Her thighs starting aching and her mind was the muddle of inane thoughts. The only clarity was the visualized picture of her smooth, slick walls contracting and expanding rapidly around the lubricated toy.

Holly felt the tightness and that caused the end of the toy to push roughly against her clit. Her thrusts became shorter and more erratic. Her lungs were on fire and her knees ached but she still kept on. She buried her face in Gail's neck and bit at the straining nerves in front of her. A second later the blonde's scream of release permeated her blood causing her to shiver all over and succumb to her own orgasm with a harshly muted growl.

"Give me two minutes," Gail pleaded tiredly.

"I will be counting," Holly wheezed. "Because next you get to ride it, cowgirl." She laughed and coughed slightly, choking on her incomplete breaths.

"Is that so," Gail breathed in amusement.

"Yup," Holly simply replied.

* * *

**So? Thoughts? **

**Hopefully this finale wasn't disappointing. **

**Please let me know what you think. **

**And I really do apologize about the mistakes. **

**I just can't re-read this chapter without feeling bitter-sweet about it. **

**So, yes, I am selfishly sparing myself that pain. **

**Anyway, Thank you all again for making this story such an overwhelming experience for me. **

**Thank you for showing all the love and support. **

**Love You All. **

**Until next time. **

**Ciao.**


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